SERMON I.

GODLINESS comes strongly re­commended to our Practice, when Rivers of Pleasure are placed on her Right Hand, and in her Left Riches and Honour. Rewards are always look'd upon as great Incentives to act well in the various Scenes of Life; and, one would ima­gine, that Mankind would endeavour, in some Measure, to make their Goodness proportionable to the present Good they receive, or to the Re­ward in Reversion. But notwithstanding the se­veral [Page 4]Promises of present as well as future Happi­ness made to the just and upright Man in Scripture, and tho' Men perceive, that then they are the most happy, when they act up to the Dictates of unbi­ass'd Reason, and follow the Precepts laid down in the Gospel; and tho' they have the sure Word of GOD, that Piety will be finally rewarded in another World; yet, for all this, Men will forsake the Paths of Wisdom, whose Ways are Ways of Pleasantness, and all her Paths are Peace, and pur­sue, what is the very Reverse of Godliness and re­ligious Wisdom, Folly and Irreligion. Were Men once induced to think, that Godliness is great Gain; that it gives Health to the Body, and Mar­row to the Bones, and gives, what nothing in this Vale of Tears will afford, Peace and Tranquility of Mind; we might then expect in the moral World, what always obtains in the natural, Har­mony and an Uniformity of Action. But some, as if Piety tended to nothing but the Propagation of Misery in the World, pursue what they think the most consummate Happiness, the deceitful Paths of sensual Pleasure. Such, indeed, shew [Page 5]Signs of Joy, but are never truly joyful: Even in the Midst of their Jollity and lewd Mirth the Heart is sad; and they cure, at least they endea­vour to cure themselves of, what is the peculiar Privilege of a reasonable Man, REFLECTION. Their Mirth indeed is like a STORM, loud, and not lasting. They run from Toy to Trifle, from Vanity to Vice, and run thro' the whole unsatisfac­tory Circle of Amusements, in order that they may more effectually forget the Design of their Creation, and the very End of their Being.

BESIDES these Sensualists, some there are, who having the Form of Godliness want the Power of it. Such as these the Apostle, in some Verses preceeding my Text, bids TIMOTHY reprehend. These Men forbad to marry, and commanded to abstain from Meats, and were more careful in the Observance of some Ceremonies, than in the Cul­tivation of the substantial Duties of Christianity. Such senseless and fabulous Traditions of these Jewish Teachers TIMOTHY is exhorted to reprove and discountenance; because bodily Exercise, that [Page 6]is, external Observances, which they pretend to be so strict in, profit little, and are of no Moment in true Religion; whereas GODLINESS, that is, the Practice of all Christian Graces, has all possible Ad­vantages, having the express Promise of the Life that now is, and of a certain Reward in the next. From the Words thus explain'd, and in order to encourage you in the Practice of religious Wisdom, I shall consider these following Propositions:

• I. THAT RELIGION has a direct Tendency to promote our present Happiness in this Life.
• AND II. That such a Religion, that has such a Tendency, carries an internal Evidence of its Divinity along with it;
• AND therefore, III. It ought to be embraced, not only upon account of its Divinity, or fu­ture Rewards it proposes, but because our Happiness, even in this Life, is consulted by it.

[Page 7] 1. THEN, I am to consider that Religion has a direct Tendency to promote our present Happi­ness in this Life.—As our Duty to GOD, our Neighbour, and ourselves, is comprehended under the Word RELIGION, I shall endeavour to shew how our present Happiness is promoted by a strict Observance of each of these Duties.—And, first, with respect to GOD.

GOD is a Being from whom we have received e­very good and perfect Gift; in whom we live, and move, and have our Being. We are indebted to him for our Creation, Preservation, and more par­ticularly for our Redemption. No Wonder then, considering the great Advantages we have received from him, that he has exacted from us Obedi­ence to his just Commands: and that he might encourage us, his rebellious Creatures, who are more prone to Evil than Goodness, in the Way that leads to Eternal Life, he has so blended our Duty with our Interest, that we cannot neglect the former without manifestly losing the latter. Wou'd we enjoy Riches, Honours, and the seve­ral [Page 8]Blessings of Life? And wou'd we make our very Enemies to be at Peace with us? We have our Saviour's own Word for it, that if we seek the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, all other Things shall be added unto us: and if we return Good for Evil, and Benefits for Works of Malice, we thereby heap Coals of Fire upon our Enemy, and melt him into Kindness, Benevo­lence, Friendship. Wou'd we enjoy Contentment, Peace of Mind, and a Conscience void of Offence, which is the only Happiness in this State of Mi­scry? If we honour GOD, and keep his Com­mandments, we shall be content, and our Minds serene, undisturbed with bitter Reflections, and freed from the Gnawings of a troubled Conscience. CONSCIENCE must be a troublesome tormenting Companion to the Wicked, but unto the Godly it is Health, and the Balsam of Life. When Storms arise, and Poverty comes upon the good Man, like an armed Man; when Friends, those Beings of a Summer's Day, forsake him in his Adversity, and leave his cooler Shade for the warmer Habita­tion of the Son of Fortune; or when Detraction [Page 9]and Envy, those malicious Attendants upon Good­ness, wou'd blacken the Reputation of the good Man; or when, in short, natural Evil, under Va­riety of Shapes, makes his Days uncomfortable, and his whole Life a Burthen; even in these Scenes of Horror, and severe Hours of Trial, the good Man's Confidence is in the LORD his GOD, who is his present Help in Time of Trouble, and Rock of Salvation in the Day of Calamity. He con­siders these light Afflictions as Marks of GOD'S Love and paternal Tenderness, inflicted not only upon Account of the many Failings he is by Na­ture liable to, but in order to awake the sleeping Sparks of Piety in him, which in the Day of Prosperity are too apt to be nigh extinguished. DAVID thought it an Happiness when he was af­flicted; for then he turned to GOD, and called his Ways to Remembrance. Thus he obtain'd, what some thoughtless Libertines at the solemn Hour of Death would give the whole World to obtain, Peace of Mind, and a pleasing Prospect of future Happiness in the Mansions of the JUST.

[Page 10]GOD too, besides the Prospect of an eternal Weight of Glory, has anexed to our Duty of loving him, a secret, internal, intellectual Pleasure. This Self-complacency every good Man enjoys; which makes him with the greater Steadiness em­brace the one Thing needful. We are never bet­ter pleased than when we are grateful for Benefits received; we cannot help expressing our Joy by the Serenity of our Countenances, and our in­ward Tranquility by our outward Demeanour and Expressions of Thankfulness. If Gratitude be at­tended, as it certainly is, with such Pleasure ra­ther to be conceived than express'd, when 'tis performed towards our Fellow Creatures, what must the Pleasure be when GOD, our Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer, is the Object of our Gra­titude? Then for want of Words to signify the Greatness of the Favours conferred upon us, and to demonstrate our Incapacity to give GOD his due Praise, and proper Honour, we melt into an affectionate Tenderness, are ravished with the su­perabundant Goodness, and are lost in Thought and silent Wonder. This is a Joy the Good, the [Page 11]religious FEW only know. The Wicked, that ei­ther deny GOD in Speculation, or forget him in Practice, are untter Strangers to this still, per­manent, unspeakable Joy. Their Joy, like a DREAM, or the MORNING DEW, passeth away, and is gone; and even the Recollection of such Joy resembles oft too much the frightful Appear­ance in some Dream, which never occurs to the I­magination without Horror.

THE good Man's Happiness is best illustrated by drawing a Portrait of the wicked Man's Con­dition.

WERE Happiness attainable solely by Impiety, and were it proportionable to a Man's Proficiency in Wickedness, there would be then some Temp­tation to live without GOD, at least without sup­posing a superintendant Being, in the World. But as Things are now constituted, it is our Interest to be pious. The wicked Man, notwithstanding his Commission of Wickedness with Greediness, yet, in his more serene Hours, when Conscience is suf­fered [Page 12]to act the Judge, declares that he has no Pleasure in Sensuality. His Appetites are strong, craving, restless. Indulgence strengthens them; Enjoyment makes them craving; and continual Exercise upon unlawful Objects, makes them rest­less, and never to be satisfied. Pleasure is gene­rally the Object of the Appetites; but Pleasure, like QUICKSILVER, eludes our utmost Skill; and, grant it is obtained, what is it but rank Poison in our Veins? Moral is generally productive of natu­ral Evil. Gluttony produces a complicated Scene of Disorders, Variety of Pain, Torture, Woe. The Drunkard takes his Glass with a quivering Hand. The lascivious Man is a living whited Se­pulchre, whose inward Parts are one continued Scene of Misery, Corruption, Rottenness; and, what is the most lamentable of all, his Soul, be­cause of its intimate Union with the Body, con­tracts a greater Impurity. But supposing the wicked Man not intemperate and luxurious; yet, if he be covetous, he must be perplex'd with ma­ny excruciating Thoughts, and his Body is gene­rally a fit Emblem of the Leanness of his Soul. [Page 13]Care about what he at present enjoys, Fears of lo­sing, Anxiety about increasing his Possessions, cun­ning Contrivances how to over-reach the Unwary, and hellish Schemes in order to grind the Face of the Poor, must make the covetous Man, amidst his Abundance, of all Men the most miserable. When a Man is thus oppress'd with the Weight of world­ly Care, he has no Room for, or Relish of, what gives the greatest Pleasure to a rational Soul, the agreeable Consciousness of having pleas'd GOD. And what Pleasure can such a Man take in ho­nouring GOD, who, in his Life, denies his very Be­ing? Is not he conscious that. he has set up the GOLDEN IDOL, and worshipped it in Opposi­tion to the true, the living GOD? And if such a one does pray to, and praise GOD; yet how can he expect a Blessing, when he does not honour his Maker with his Substance? Will not his Pray­ers be rather turned into Sin, since his Hypocrisy demonstrates his Mockery of that Being who is a jealous and a terrible GOD? Unhappy then must be the Case of this miserable Man, if he cannot for­get GOD in Thought as well as Practice: Recol­lection [Page 14]must be terrible; and Apprehension of a future State, where all must be rewarded accord­ing to their Works, especially in Time of Sickness, or at the Hour of Death, must be an agonizing Pain, and a sort of Foretaste of Misery which the Damned only feel. In such a State GOD appears to him frowning, unmerciful, vindictive: This dismal Notion naturally throws him into an A­mazement, Horror, Despair; and he desires, what is in such a Situation, the ardent Desire of the most Abandoned, that he might live yet a little longer, and that he might at last die the Death of the Righteous, and that his latter End might be like his. But GOD, the good, the gracious, the merciful, who long bore with the repeated Trans­gressions of the wicked Man, in expectation that he would repent and amend, and consider at last what belonged to his Peace, now cuts him off in the Midst of his Sins, and leaves him to the dis­mal Apprehension of approaching Judgment. If Men would really consider this melancholy State of the wicked Man, and that there is no Peace un­to him, either in Time or in Eternity; if they [Page 15]would seriously consider the almost infinite Diffe­rence between a Life of Misery and a Life of real Pleasure, even in this State of Probation, they would no longer be tempted to Sin by their lawless Passions, or by the Agreeableness of any Object.

BUT unhappy for us it is, that we often resist the good Motions of GOD'S ordinary Grace with­in us; are little attentive to the Voice of the Charmer, charm she never so wisely, and reject the common Means of Salvation which GOD has graciously vouchafed us. And tho' all Things in the Creation are serious, and perform the several Offices agreeable to their respective Natures; yet Man, endued with Reason, and for whom GOD died, as if he had no Returns of Gratitude to make for the many Favours received, either trifles away Life unthinkingly, or is lost between sinning and repenting; or follows, what is the Destruction of all solid intellectual Pleasure in this Life, the low Gratifications of Sense for a Season. And cer­tainly that Man, who prefers the Body to the Soul, the mortal to the immortal part, little deserves the [Page 16]Rank he obtains among rational Beings. For we then shew greatest Signs of Rationality, when we answer the End of our Creation; and we then an­swer the End of our Creation, when we perform a rational Worship towards our best Benefactor, GOD ALMIGHTY; and we are then best plea­sed with ourselves, and therefore best pleased with those about us, when we shew by our Words and Works that we are at Peace with GOD.

BESIDES, we then have the most intense Plea­sure when our Souls are the least conversant with material Objects. The Body has been always reckoned a Clog to the Soul in her Operations; she cannot think with her native Freedom, but is cramped in her Speculations, often lost in the Mists of Error, whilst human Science is the Object of her Contemplation. Yet notwithstanding that, the Appearance of Truth, and the Solution of any Difficulty, delights the Soul with such a sensible Pleasure, that speculative Men think it an ample Reward for the Labour of the Brain: and such has been the Force of this rational Pleasure, that [Page 17]it has reclaimed the Libertine, and made him ne­glect the Beauty of the Body, for the never-fading Beauties of the Mind. If such be the Pleasure, as it certainly is, when we deal in human Science, what must be the Pleasure arising from the Know­ledge of ourselves, and a Contemplation of that Being from whom we receive every good and per­fect Gift. Who is there of so harden'd a Nature, as to receive no grateful Sensations from the Con­sideration of GOD'S Love in the Redemption of fallen Man? And is not this Pleasure greatly aug­mented by the additional Consideration of our be­ing adopted thereby into the Number of the SONS of GOD? This is comfortable Assistance under every Circumstance of Life: When Storms arise, or when the Wicked triumph, or when Death, that King of Terrors, threatens to cut the Thread of Life, it is a present Help in Time of Trouble; and is to the good Man, what ORPHEUS'S Lyre is said to be to the Miserable in the infernal Re­gions, a soothing Cordial in Calamity, and makes him almost forget, even in Torture and Misery, that he is miserable.

[Page 18]AS the loving and honouring GOD is attend­ed with such exquisite Pleasure, so likewise from the Performance of our Duty to our Neighbour, we receive Recompences of Pleasure suitable to our several Acts of Beneficence. ‘As ye would that Men should do unto you, even do ye like­wise unto them,’ is the grand Gospel-precept upon which hang all the Law and the Prophets. If Men would observe strictly this Behaviour to­wards one another, there would be no longer Wars and Bickerings among us; but rather, because we expect Gentleness, Civility and Complaisance, and honourable Behaviour from other Men, we ought to put on the same amiable Conduct, in order to gain, what may be wish'd for rather than expect­ed in the World, Peace and Unanimity of Senti­ments. A virtuous Conduct, however, tho' it does not always gain a suitable Return, yet affords a suitable Reward for the Performance of it. No Man does a virtuous Action without perceiving a secret Satisfaction in the doing of it: So that VIRTUE, in this Sense, it its own Reward in this Life, and has a direct Tendency to promote [Page 19]our present as well as future Happiness. But every Action that is attended with a mental Pleasure may not be virtuous. Men that are strongly affected at seeing miserable Objects, are even forced, by their natural Make and Constitution, to contribute to the Relief of such Misery; and when they are relieving others, they at the same Time relieve themselves of an Uneasiness, and consequently do themselves a Pleasure. But as they do not give Relief to the Distressed, because GOD has com­manded it, their Communication of such Relief is no Virtue, and therefore of no Moment in the Sight of GOD: And I am afraid, that such gi­ving of Alms, which is looked upon as a Cover­ing for a Multitude of Sins, but too often will only meet with its Reward here; and yet we may pronounce it a great Happiness, that some rich Men are so softly constituted by Nature, that they will perform an Action, in order to free themselves from a present Uneasiness, when they would not have done it for the Sake of a Fellow-creature, or because GOD has commanded it. To have a feeling Sense, however, of another's Misery, is [Page 20]reckon'd a happy Temperament of Body, which is generally productive of Benevolence; and Be­nevolence is an Incentive to Beneficence; and Be­neficence, if we do it not for the relieving our own Minds, or for the Sake of popular Applause, will lead us to Rivers of Pleasure in a future State. Besides then the natural Pleasure of doing a virtu­ous Action, the consequent Satisfaction of having pleased GOD, is an additional Spur to moral Goodness. But if we will not be religious, or, in other Words, perform our Duty to GOD, or our Neighbour, because of the Pleasure attending them, yet, one would imagine, we would be du­tiful to ourselves.

AS the Practice of Virtue is the Health of the Soul, so is it likewise the Health of the Body. Our Bodies are generally the most freed from Pain when we conform to the Gospel Rules. The MEEK shall inherit the Earth; because he is free from Passion and Violence, from Haughtiness and Turbulency. The TEMPERATE in all Things is able to fight the good Fight, and to finish his [Page 21]Course with Joy; because he keeps the Body in Subjection to the Mind: Whereas those who are led by their Passions, are tormented both in Body and Mind. The ANGRY MAN is often distract­ed with Pains in the Head, Breast, Stomach: and no Wonder, since one Irregularity naturally pro­duces another; and since Anger is occasioned by an irregular Flow of Blood into the Head, it is no Wonder that Pain is consequent upon such a Motion, because a too great Distension of the Vessels is naturally productive of Pain. The IN­TEMPERATE MAN too, for the same Reason, tho' arising from different Causes, is most torment­ed with Pain. The Top of his Head to the Sole of his Foot reminds him of his Luxury, Gluttony, Drunkenness. The ENVIOUS MAN, by his emaciated Body, gives us a demonstrative Proof of the Uneasiness he labours under: His Body is a sufficient Emblem of the Weakness of his Mind; and when there is such a Connection and Sympa­thy between the Soul and Body, the one cannot suffer without the other; and the Body then is [Page 22]most distemper'd under a wounded Spirit: So true is the WISE MAN'S Observation, that ENVY is the Rottenness of the Bones.

IF then we would be just to ourselves we should practise the moral Virtues; if we will not do that for our Souls Health, let us at least for the Ease of the Body. For every Man that indulges his Passions in any criminal Pursuit, offends not only against GOD, Reason, or his own Soul, but like­wise against his own Body. A Violation of CHA­STITY is a Sin committed against the Body: and all other Vices, of whatever Complexion they be, or however they be coloured over by the specious Glosses of designing Men, are nevertheless destruc­tive to the Body as well as the Soul.

A GENERAL when he delivers a CASTLE to be defended by any inferior Officer, charges him to stand firm to his Post, to repair the Breaches an Enemy has made, to strengthen the old Fortifica­tions by new Works, to stock himself with Arms [Page 23]and Ammunition, Men and Money; and, after all, to use Diligence, Prudence, and Precaution, that he may not be attack'd by Surprize, or be betray­ed by the Cowardice or Treachery of his Garri­son. THIS is the very Case of MAN: GOD has assign'd him a Post to defend against his Ad­versary, the Devil; he is to arm himself with the Sword of the Spirit, the Breast-plate of Righteous­ness, and the Helmet of Salvation; and after he has done all, to stand, to be collected in himself, and to repair the Breaches Sin has made, and for­tify himself with good Resolutions; that he may not be surprized to injure his Body or Soul by the Beauty or Attraction of surrounding Objects, by a deluding Imagination, or strong Affections from within. If he thus performs his Duty to GOD, to his Neighbour and himself, he will re­ceive particular Satisfaction from the Practice of each of these Duties; and he will be inclined to think, that THAT RELIGION must be divine, which has so well blended our Duty with our In­terest, and has made our present Happiness de­pend [Page 24]upon our present Goodness; which was the SECOND Thing I proposed to treat of in this Discourse; but I must, with GOD'S Leave, omit it for another Opportunity.

NOW to GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY GHOST, be ascribed, as is most due, all Honour, Praise, Might, Majesty, and Dominion, both now and ever. AMEN.

SERMON II.

WHATEVER tends to the Hap­piness and Perfection of Man's Being, should be the Object of every Man's Desires. For this Reason, whatever has a direct Tendency to make us lovely and amiable in our Lives; whatever, if steadily prac­tised, will consequentially add Vigour to the Body, and be perfective of the better Part of us, our Souls; whatever is commendable and praise-wor­thy; if there be any Virtue or any Praise, we ought not only to think of, but desire, and not only de­sire, [Page 26]but pursue, with that heroick Constancy, which not only becomes a Man, but something more than mere Man, the good Christian.

ALL Laws, or Systems of Laws, which are, or have been enacted in the World, ought princi­pally to regard the Good of the Community for which they were enacted. Now, if any be found deficient in this respect, and are either contrived to promote partial, selfish Ends; or contain some­thing shocking to Reason, and disagreeable to Human Nature in them; we may with good Rea­son, when proposed to our Understandings, con­sider them as the Invention of frail Man. But if, on the contrary, we should have the good For­tune to meet with a System of Laws every Way calculated to make us wise, just, and good; and naturally contributing to the obtaining of That, which all Men pretend they are in Pursuit of, pre­sent Happiness; we might then, with the greatest Justice, conclude, that the Author of them must be an all-wise and good Being; who, best under­standing the several Relations we stand in to one [Page 27]another, knew how to draw us even by Violence, by the Cords of Love, and the Bond of Peace, to consult, what every Pretender to Reason ought to consult, his present as well as future Happiness.

FOR this Reason, the Gospel, considered mere­ly as a System of Laws, ought to merit our At­tention, and may reasonably claim a fair and can­did Examination from every rational Enquirer; who, tho' he regards a future State as a Chimera, would only be happy in this World; which, when compared to a more glorious Mansion of the Just, may be emphatically stiled the very Shadow of Being.

AND if, upon a fair Examination, it shall ap­pear that nothing is enjoined us in the sacred Ora­cles as a Duty, but what will, by the constant Exercise of it, make us happier, we shall then be inexcusable if we neglect so great, and at the same Time, so unmerited Salvation. For such it may be termed, if it has a natural Tendency to free us, from what is consequent upon unrestrained Appe­tites, [Page 28]a distempered Body; or from that greatest of all Calamities, which can befal degenerate Man, a WOUNDED SPIRIT. That the Practice of re­ligious Wisdom is attended with such a Freedom, the Experience of every good Man abundantly testifies; so that if you will not believe an inspired Writer, believe what any of you may experience, That GODLINESS is profitable unto all Things, having the Promise of the Life that NOW is, and of that which is to come. In a former Discourse upon which Words, I proposed to consider the following Propositions:

• I. THAT Religion has a direct Tendency to promote our present Happiness in this Life.
• AND II. That such a Religion, that has such a Tendency, carries an internal Evidence of its DIVINITY along with it.
• AND therefore, III. It ought to be embraced, not only upon account of its Divinity, or fu­ture Rewards which it proposes, but because [Page 29]our Happiness, even in this Life, is consult­ed by it.

THE first of these Propositions I have already considered, by endeavouring to shew, that GOD­LINESS, that is, Religion, consists in our Duty to GOD, our Neighbour, and ourselves; and that a constant Perseverance in Well-doing in these se­veral Branches of our Duty, was the only Happi­ness which can in this Life be properly called so, or ever be obtained. And as Religion produces such an happy Effect, we may justly conclude, that its ORIGIN is DIVINE; which was the second Thing I proposed to consider.

IT has been the constant Observation of the un­prejudiced Part of Mankind, that ever gave them­selves Liberty to think, that the Productions of Men always were attended with some Failures, which sufficiently discovered the Imperfections of their several Authors. Systems of Laws, that were contrived for the Promotion of the Happi­ness of the particular Communities for which they [Page 30]were made, not only discovered the Corruption into which Men in general were fallen, but like­wise the Degeneracy of their Compilers. It would indeed be unnatural for us to expect that perfect Purity should flow from a corrupted Heart: for Interest, or Inclination, or both those two great Enemies to Truth, too often hoodwink what should always, supposing the Want of Revelation, determine the Will, the rational Faculty. And that this should be the Case with frail Humanity, that sees but thro' a Glass darkly, and that too with the additional Disadvantages of having a dense Medium to see thro', the Passions and Pre­judices, which divert the Rays of Truth from en­tering, in a proper Disposition to inform the Un­derstanding, it is no Wonder; since STREAMS that flow thro' MINERALS always contract the Qualities of the Bodies thro' which they run: And DOCTRINES, like STREAMS, can never flow pure, when either the Fountains or the Chan­nels, thro' which they are conveyed, are impure. It is observed indeed, that, like WATER, (which, as it runs, refines) Men's Notions about moral [Page 31]Good and Evil continually improved as they flow­ed down the Stream of Time from Father to Son: but notwithstanding that, some Imperfection, some bad Principle, after all their Researches, discovered itself to disgrace human Nature; and even their best Notions had little Weight in them, because they wanted those Sanctions, which every Rule of Action should be attended with, REWARDS and PUNISHMENTS.

THE CHRISTIAN SCHEME, or the Rule of Life delivered to us in the Gospel, whose End and Aim is the Perfection of our Natures, is in itself entirely perfect. It is to us, what the Tree of Knowledge was to our first Parents, the Know­ledge of Good and Evil; but with this material memorable Difference: to them it was the Know­ledge of Variety of Pain, Misery, Death; but to us it is not only the Tree of Knowledge, but of Life; whofe Root, tho' fix'd in Earth, yet loses its Top in Heaven; by the kindly Assistance of whose Branches, we may, tho' with Difficulty, ascend to that happy Kingdom; where reigns uni­versal [Page 32]Righteousness, and therefore universal Har­mony, the HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.

WHATEVER then has a direct Tendency to make us perfect, just, and good, must immedi­diately, if heartily practised, make us happier; and the Contrivance of such Means must be attributed to a good benevolent Being, who best understand­ing our Natures, knew best how to prescribe what was the most productive of Happiness. For this Reason, we may justly imagine, that God gave us the Gospel Dispensation; which, both for the Ex­cellency of its Precepts, and Universality of their Extent, can claim no other Original.

NO Religion in the World that was plann'd by mere Man, ever prescrib'd universal Benevo­lence to Man. LOVE and CHARITY was on­ly to extend to Guests, Friends, Citizens. To this confin'd, contracted Sphere, was Heathen Be­nevolence extended, till the Day-spring from on high, the SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS, shone in their Hearts, and melted them into Tender­ness, [Page 33]Compassion, Benevolence. Hence their Hearts were enlarged, and in their Understandings there sprang up a LIGHT, which soon dispell'd the Mists of Ignorance, and directed their wandering Steps thro' the Mazes of Error, to something more desirable than all the Volumes of Vanity and empty Deceit in the World, THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL-COVENANT.

THE Benevolence which it proposes is univer­sal. As CHRIST loved us, so are we to love one another. As the Benefits of CHRIST'S Pas­sion diffused itself thro' the whole rational Part of the Creation, so is our Benevolence to be circum­scribed by no particular Time, Place, or Person; but, like its GREAT AUTHOR, its Circumfe­rence is to be no where, and its Centre every where.

SUCH a Benevolence as this, which is entirely suited to Man's Nature, and is necessarily produc­tive of his Happiness, as it is attended with Com­plaisance, Humility, Sincerity, Charity, Hospita­lity, and a Delight in pleasing, and every other [Page 34]laudable Perfection, must take its Rise from DI­VINITY. For if we take a View only of the se­veral Sects which deviate from the Gospel-Purity, we shall find them so far from cultivating an uni­versal Benevolence, that they are ready to pronounce Damnation on those that differ from them only in Sentiment, in Forms, Ceremonies, or any other Matters merely indifferent. But such severe Judges ought to consider, that when they mingle their own contracted Notions with the Gospel-Precepts, they not only dishonour GOD by such an unnatu­ral Composition; but also, by a sour Moroseness of Temper, destroy that chearful benevolent Dispo­sition, which is one grand Characteristick of every good Christian.

NO greater internal Evidence for the Divinity of the SACRED WRITINGS can be produced than BENEVOLENCE, which almost in every Page is taught; and not only taught, but enfor­ced by EXAMPLE. It strikes at the Root of all these Passions; which, for the Destruction they bring upon the Peace of all Society, are emphati­cally [Page 35]stiled the DISEASES of the MIND. Where it has rivetted itself into the Heart of Man, there is no ENVY because a Neighbour is more pro­sperous; no HATRED for real or supposed In­juries; no REVENGE, because 'tis referred to the Execution of that Being to whom alone Ven­geance belongs. It excludes ANGER, and all the Degrees of it, except it has for its Object that most deform'd, and the most pernicious of all Ob­jects, SIN. And it excludes, in short, all Sor­row, all godly Sorrow excepted; which extends itself, not only to a Man's own Failures in Duty, but likewise to the Infirmities, Vices, and unme­rited Misfortunes of others: But all repining and murmuring at the wise Dispensation of Providence, and all sorrowing for Injuries and Disappointments received from Men, are utterly unwarranted by this GOSPEL-BENEVOLENCE: for we are not only to wish, but to forward the Salvation of all Men, even of our most inveterate Enemies; that they seeing our good Works, may at last be re­stored to the Paths of Peace, and be excited to a glorious Emulation, to glorify together with us [Page 36]our Father which is in Heaven. And if we love GOD, and believe him endued with every possible Perfection, we can never repine at his Proceed­ings; but whether he gives us Health or Sick­ness, Prosperity or Adversity, we must conclude it wisest, justest, best.

AND as Benevolence keeps the Mind free from all hurtful Passions, so does it likewise re­strain the Possessor of it from every Thing bad in Practice. No Man can be unjust, and, at the same Time, benevolent. For LOVE worketh no Ill to his Neighbour; and therefore nothing bad in Practice can be consequent upon it. No Man that sincerely wishes his Neighbour's Welfare will defraud him, or spoil him of his Goods, will in­jure his Person, or endeavour to take away that, which is more precious than Life to every good Man, REPUTATION. No Man, in short, that has this benevolent Principle, will deal in Deceit, Censoriousness, Contention; but rather, because he considers himself as a Member of this great Society, the World, and also as design'd for a [Page 37]more durable Mansion in Heaven, he will practise every social Virtue, by the Assistance of which he may more effectually ascend thither; where true Joys are only to be found.

THIS Principle, however good as it is in its Tendency, is but little practised in the World; and it would be less so, if GOD was not proved the Author of it: Most Men are naturally selfish, angry, revengeful: Few Men, even under the Gospel, have a general Respect; but fewer have universal Benevolence for their Fellow-creatures. Men should respect one another, because they are Partakers of the same common Natures; should love another, because GOD is the Creator and Preserver of every Individual; and we should forward each other's Salvation, because the Lamb of GOD condescended to empty himself of his Glory, and gave us a Life inimitable, both for its Benevolence, and also for the Beneficence exhibi­ted by it.

NOT so unthinking Man: He, as if wiser than [Page 38]the GOD that made him, will not love his Friends, much less his Enemies: He returns Hatred too often for Good-will, and Ingratitude for Works of the greatest Kindness. He can expose to Ri­dicule the Infirmities of Friends; and, in order to shew his Malevolence, can, for the Diversion of his Acquaintance, murder their Reputation: He can scatter his Arrows, Firebrands, and Death; and yet he can have the Modesty to say, Am not I in sport? To such a one may be applicable that Observation in the Fable, "What is Sport to thee, is Death to me." Nay, to suffer thus in Reputation is worse than Death: A natural Death is generally finished in the Twinkling of an Eye; but a moral one, the Death of Reputation, con­tinues not only too often with Life, but likewise extends itself beyond the Grave. The horrid SPECTRE is too maliciously conjur'd up not to excite PALENESS, the Attendant upon Fear, but BLUSHES in the innocent Faces of Poste­rity. BETTER it is to be silent, than to be witty at the Expence of INNOCENCE; better [Page 39]it is to be deemed a Man of narrow Thought, than to shew by our much speaking, that we think neither humbly of ourselves, nor candidly of our Neighbours: And there is no greater Ar­gument of a Fool, than a Multitude of bad Words inconsistent with common Honesty.

THE Nature of Man being thus prone to Deeds of Darkness, Ill-nature, and Defamation, What could be invented as a more proper Remedy for it than the GOSPEL BENEVOLENCE? And can it be imagined, that the Heart of Man would contrive such a Cure? Is it in the least probable, that Man, who is by Nature SELFISH and RE­VENGEFUL, would himself make Laws which neither he nor the rest of Mankind would follow? Or, would he enforce these Laws with proper Sanctions, when they contradicted the natural Bent of his Temper? And supposing that he saw the Expediency of such Laws, Could he, for that Reason, imagine, that Men would follow them merely because he prescrib'd them? But would not a too great Fondness for SELF, Covetousness, [Page 40]Pride, Envy, and false Honour, prevent the en­acting of such salutary Laws as we find inculcated in the Gospel? Would Meekness, Forgiveness of Injuries, and Humility, be prescribed as practi­cable, convenient, or commendable? Would Cha­rity, that great LAW OF KINDNESS, which comprehends almost all Virtues, be so much as thought of, much less practised, supposing that it had not descended with its great Author from Heaven? And since Men do not practise these Virtues commanded by GOD himself, Would they have thought them suited to Man's Nature, if Man had prescribed them? The Truth is, Man is prone to Sin, and averse to Goodness; his Passions are strong, and apparent Good is gene­nerally their Object. Hence arises the Neglect of Precepts every Way adapted to promote private as well as publick Happiness. Hence Men act contrary to Conviction, and receive Doctrines for good, which they may intend indeed to pay a Regard to, but never do practise. But when Men are grown old in Sin, they would willingly carve out for themselves Principles every Way [Page 41]suitable to their Practice. Hence Christianity is rejected, and the Dictates of corrupted Reason, I should say Passion, are substituted in its Place. Hence is Corruption patronised by the pretended Light of Nature; and universal Benevolence is lost in a low, sneaking, particular Selfishness. If Men were left to themselves, and there was no established Form of Worship, we would soon see what Destruction would be brought upon the Gospel. Every one would adopt or reject Pre­cepts, as they saw them agree, or disagree, with their several Interests: Every one would have their favourite Path to tread in, till, at last, they would leave no Remains of the Gospel-Purity: A no small Argument this, that Man never con­trived the GOSPEL-SCHEME; for it is impos­sible that we should ever gather Grapes of Thorns, of Figs of Thistles, or that a corrupt Tree should ever bring forth good Fruit.

AS the Excellency then of the Gospel-Precepts sufficiently prove the Divinity of their Author, so likewise does the Universality of their Extent. [Page 42]They are calculated, not as the Jewish Dispensa­tion, for a peculiar People, but for the Benefit and Happiness of every Nation under Heaven. All Laws that ever appeared before the Gospel-Covenant, only extended to particular Communi­ties, only obliged those for whom they were made, and some of them ought not to have been obliga­tory, because they were disagreeable to Reason, and consequently were detrimental to Society: Whereas the Gospel-Laws, because the Happiness of ALL Men is their constant Object, are, for that Reason, supposing their Divinity could not be proved, obligatory. For when Laws are, as all Laws should be, founded on Reason, no Man can reject them as unreasonable; and therefore, those who disregard them, must do Violence to their Reason, and consequently are inexcusable both in the Sight of GOD and Man. That the Gospel contains a reasonable Service, every one that has practised the Rules comprehended therein can best tell. And if it appears that the Observance of them shall make one Man as happy as this State is capable of, Why may not all Men be happy, [Page 43]for the same Reason? And that all Men may be happy, by the constant and uniform Practice of the Gospel-Rules, every Man's unbiassed Reason, as well as Experience, will inform him. And if it could be demonstrated, which indeed is impos­sible, that these Rules were not productive of universal Good, then there might be some Ex­cuse pleaded for the not receiving of them. But as infinite Love for the Human Race was the great Motive for the Promulgation of these Rules, and as the Divine Love was the very Basis and Foun­dation of them, so is LOVE said to be the ful­filling of the LAW; for no Man can be a Breaker of it that truly loves his GOD, his NEIGHBOUR, and HIMSELF: Happy would the People be, who are in such a Case; yea, happy the People who fol­low the Rules prescribed by their GOD.

BUT it may be asked, if our LOVE and BE­NEVOLENCE must be universal; must we, for that Reason, offend no Man? Are we not com­manded to rebuke them that sin before all, and [Page 44]yet are we not commanded to follow Peace with all Men? To this it may be answered, that if, by disobliging and offending some Persons, we can do them the greater Good; if we can reform and save them; or, however, can promote the publick Happiness, by disturbing their Repose more than by leaving them in Tranquility, then it is that Considerations of Peace so far cease, as they are inconsistent with Piety and Charity. For it is for the Good of Mankind that Vices, of what Complexion soever, should be discouraged. As they have an immediate Tendency to bring on the Ruin of Societies, Kingdoms, and even the De­struction of the whole Earth; hence it is the Du­ty of every Christian to endeavour at least to op­pose the Overflowing of Ungodliness, that the Guilty might be reformed, and the Innocent not be hurried away in the mighty Torrent. If by re­buking the Sinner we can reclaim him from the Error of his Ways, we give the greatest Instance of Charity; and by saving a Soul alive we cover a Multitude of Sins. If the SWEARER, BLAS­PHEMER, DRUNKARD, LIBERTINE, and [Page 45]all the black Catalogue of Sinners enumerated by St PAUL, could be terrified into Goodness by harsh Expressions; or, where those gentler Me­thods fail, by severer Treatment; would we not, in so doing, perform a Deed of Charity, and con­tribute thereby to the Glory of GOD? To behave thus, indeed, in these our Days, when Gravity is thought Moroseness, and Sanctity of Manners, Hypocrisy; when the infamous Mirth of the Son of Fortune is every where preferr'd to the Man of Sense; when, to preserve one's Integrity, one must avoid the Conversation of most Men; when Modesty, that great Guard of Virtue, is laugh'd out of Countenance; when the smooth Tongue, lying Face, and corrupted Heart, are more va­lued than Simplicity, Sincerity, and a regular Tenor of good Actions; when the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, make Men either Infidels, or something worse than Infidels, careless Christians: In such Times, to rebuke such Vices as these, requires a great deal of Goodness, an unwavering Resolu­tion, [Page 46]clear Courage, and a Zeal according to Knowledge.

BUT all these beforementioned Roots of Bitter­ness, that branch out with great Luxuriance from the Heart of Man, might easily be check'd in their Growth, if Men would only try their Con­duct by the GOSPEL-RULES. The Passions that swell too high, and rage with direful Impe­tuosity, would soon ebb, and sink into a pro­found Calm, and be confin'd within their proper Channel. REASON then would assume the gentler Sway, and be regulated by REVELA­TION; would conduct our shatter'd Barks thro' the unavoidable Storms of Life, thro' Rocks and Quicksands; which, because latent, are the more dangerous, till they arrive safe in the ETERNAL HAVEN where they would be.

IF we would be meek, patient, tender-hearted, shewing Bowels of Mercies to all Men, what a pleasant, serene, peaceable State would the World enjoy? It would then be apt to tempt Men to [Page 47]desire, what is the earnest Desire of all Men, not­withstanding the several natural and moral Evils incident to human Nature, LENGTH OF DAYS and LONG LIFE. Men would not only be of one Mind in an House, but likewise universal Love would be the ruling Passion in the rational Part of the Creation: Hence Health and Peace of Mind, those natural Attendants upon Goodness, would carry all Men with a composed even Chear­fulness of Mind to the Mansions of immortal Youth, where they will shine as STARS in the FIRMAMENT. Such is the excellent Tendency of the GOSPEL-PRECEPTS, and such the Universality of their Extent! Both of which suf­ficiently evince the DIVINITY of their AU­THOR; who, by such Means, has largely con­tributed both to our present and future Happiness.

BUT, if we will not receive the Gospel because of its DIVINITY or future Rewards, let us at least, for the Sake of making this gloomy State of Things tolerable to us, embrace it; which was the Third Thing I proposed to consider in this [Page 48]Discourse: But of THIS at another Opportu­nity.

NOW to GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY GHOST, be ascribed, as is most due, all Honour, Glory, Majesty, and Dominion, both now and ever. AMEN.

SERMON III.

'TIS a constant Observation of all Wri­ters, that Mankind is mostly affected with Things present; that their De­sires are generally confin'd within the narrow Li­mits of this World; and that surrounding Ob­jects almost always exclude, what should be the constant Subject of a rational Being, the glorious Thoughts of Immortality. The Reason why they thus act seems to be this: Real Happiness, which indeed is not attainable in this Life, seems to be the Expectation of most Men, even in this tran­sitory [Page 50]State of Things, where Joy and Sorrow, Hopes and Fears, Light and Shade, constitute the Life of Man. The Imagination paints Things delusively, and in borrow'd Colours; it gives Solidity to Emptiness, Beauty to Deformity, and Worth to Meanness, and has the Power of EGYPTIAN SUPERSTITION, it can trans­form an APE into a GOD; but what is the more surprizing, it pretends to realize NOTHING. No Wonder then, that Man, under such an er­roneous flattering Guide, mistakes Misery for Happiness, and agonizing Pain for solid perma­nent Pleasure; no Wonder that Sensuality is pre­fer'd to Temperance, and Confusion to the Love of Order; or that Mankind, rather than oppose the mighty Torrent of Affection, chuses to swim smoothly down the Current of Inclination. To contradict Passion, a Libertine thinks an arduous, unnatural, nay, an impossible Task. To follow Nature, which is nothing else but a criminal In­dulgence of every Sense, is with him answering the End of his Creation; not considering that the Beauty of Life, like the BEAUTY of a good [Page 51]PICTURE, consists in a regular Harmony and Concert of all its Parts, and in a Conformity to the Rules of Reason. If every one was to follow the Propensities of his depraved Appetite, (for one Man has as much Right as another) we would not only, in all human Probability, see the Death of Morality, but the Destruction of the Sons of ADAM. Such has been, if the History of all Ages may be credited, the dismal Consequence of a total Depravation of Manners; so true is it, that RIGHTEOUSNESS exalteth a NATION, but SIN is the DESTRUCTION of any People. When Men throw aside the natural Distinction between Good and Evil, all Restraints from Ill are conse­quently broke; Vices then, of all Complexions, must deluge the Earth like a mighty INUNDA­TION, and drown the very Seeds of Virtue. The Notion of a GOD likewise is then either lost or confus'd; his Providence, that by secret Springs directs the harmonious Motion of the Universe, is too often depreciated; except LIGHTENING, that terrible Instrument of Ven­geance, flashes Conviction to their Understandings, [Page 52]or THUNDER, that dreadful Attendant upon the DEITY, awakens their sleepy Consciences, and forces them to own with Confusion of Face the Presence of OMNIPOTENCE.

BUT the good, the religious Man, amidst Lightenings, Thunder, Whirlwinds, and Earth­quakes, sits humble, resign'd, compos'd; he knows no Fear, but the FEAR of the AL­MIGHTY; who amidst every Terror, is his strong Tower, and Rock of Defence, a present Help in Time of Need. Is there any that would secure to himself a FRIEND? Let him be but good or religious, and he will have an ALMIGHTY FRIEND. Is any oppress'd with the Weight of SIN, and disturb'd with the Gnawings of a trou­bled CONSCIENCE? There is an ADVOCATE with the FATHER, who graciously invites all that labour, and are heavy laden, to come unto him, and he will give them REST. Is any sick, or in ADVERSITY? Let him apply to that almighty and all-merciful PHYSICIAN, who raises the DEAD to LIFE, and the POOR out [Page 53]of the DUST. Would any one enjoy LIFE, and see good DAYS, or inherit a BLESSING? Let him refrain his Tongue from Evil, and his Lips that they speak no Guile; let him eschew Evil, and do Good; let him seek Peace, and en­sue it: For the Eyes of the LORD are over the Righteous, and his Ears are open unto their Prayers: But the Face of the LORD is against them that do Evil. And who is it that will harm you, if ye be Followers of that which is Good? GOODNESS then is the necessary Armour for every Man that would fight the good Fight, and procure to himself the Blessings of Peace in this World, and a Crown of Glory in the next. For GOD will with-hold no Manner of Good from those that sincerely love HIM. Thus GODLI­NESS has not only the PROMISE of the Life that now is, but also of that likewise which is to come. —In two former Discourses upon which Words, I consider'd these two Propositions:

First, THAT RELIGION is the surest Road to Happiness in this Life: And that, Secondly, [Page 54]because it tends to make us happy, it proves its DIVINITY. The first of these I endeavour'd to prove from the Happiness that must necessarily result from the strict Observance of those relative Duties, of which Religion consists, to GOD, our Neighbour, and ourselves.

THE Truth of the second Proposition, I en­deavour'd to prove from the Excellency of the GOSPEL-PRECEPTS, which Man, as he is a Compound of great Ignorance, much Folly, and little Goodness, would never have invented; and also from the UNIVERSALITY of their EX­TENT, as they are excellently well calculated to promote universal Harmony, and therefore uni­versal Happiness, among all the KINDREDS of the EARTH.

I COME now, as I proposed in the last Place, to consider our particular OBLIGATIONS to RELIGION, because of its promoting our pre­sent Interest.

[Page 55]I AM not ignorant that it may be objected here, that temporal Motives to Obedience ought not to be so much insisted on; and that I ought rather to have painted the Joys of Heaven, or the Terrors of Hell, in order to invite or deter the Sinner from the Error of his Way.

TO this I answer, that Objects generally affect Men according to their Distance. The Prospect of present Gain in the Commerce between Man and Man, is usually attended with greater Plea­sure, and consequently pursued with greater Vi­gour, than the View of larger Advantages placed at a more remote Point of Light. The same holds with respect to Things temporal and eternal. The Things eternal not being present, and consequently not expos'd to our View, do not affect us so much as sensible Objects. If then Men can be persuaded from the Enjoyment of the Pleasures of Sin for the Season they continue Pilgrims here, either be­cause they are shameful, prejudicial to their Affairs, or destructive to the Body; ought not such Argu­ments, taken from Conveniency, be made Use of [Page 56]in order to invite Men from Sin? It must be own'd, indeed, that if Men are virtuous upon no higher Motives, than because Virtue is convenient, and productive of Health and present Happiness; and if men are seemingly religious, merely because Re­ligion is the fashionable Convenience, in order to colour over sinister Designs, such Mens Virtue and Religion, with regard to another World, must be vain: because we ought to be virtuous and religi­ous not only upon account of a present Conveni­ence and Advantage, but likewise in obedience to GOD'S just Commands.

HOWEVER, from whatever Motive Men prac­tise Virtue, whether out of Ostentation, and to gain popular Applause, as some; or because it pro­motes the Health of the Body, and the grateful Peace and Indolency of Mind, as others; or, last­ly, which should always be the Case, because GOD has proposed Piety and Virtue as the Terms of Acceptance with him: From whatever of these Motives Men are virtuous, just and good, both they themselves and the World must receive no [Page 57]small Advantage from it: So true is it that VIR­TUE, even in this Scene of Things, which is di­versified with Good and Ill, is its own REWARD, and that GODLINESS is great GAIN.

TO insist upon the Practice of Virtue therefore, upon account of temporal Inducements, is not one of the least Motives to behave well. Our SAVI­OUR himself, in the Sermon upon the Mount, in order to induce his Hearers to practise MEEK­NESS, MERCY, and the like, tells them, that not only a Reward in Reversion, but the INHERI­TANCE of the EARTH, will be consequent upon the Practice of these Virtues.

EXPERIENCE too tells us, that many of little or no Religion practise some Virtues, if such a Practice, exclusive of the Will of GOD, may be term'd virtuous; because such Virtues augment the Health of the Body, and increase thereby a thoughtless Indolence of Mind. Such will not live jovially and luxuriously, because Sickness is generally the Concomitant of Sensuality. The [Page 58]Desire of continuing here, which to a good Man is not very desirable, occasions a consequent De­sire of using such Means as seem best calculated for the promoting LENGTH of DAYS and LONG LIFE. And as Virtue has this happy Tendency, 'tis no Wonder if it be look'd upon as the one Thing needful to promote temporal Felicity, by those, who have shewn by their Lives, and more particularly by their Writings, that they are Advocates for no Religion. A great Argu­ment this, however, that Morality must be very serviceable to Societies; but the Practice of it must be very precarious and uncertain, when the WILL, and consequently the FEAR of GOD, are ex­cluded from supporting of it. When the main Pillars, the Support of a Building, are taken away, Would it be strange, if the Superstructure should fall to the Ground? And, in like Manner, if the Will and Fear of GOD were not thought the Foundation of all moral Obligation, What an Inlet to all Manner of Licentiousness would there be? Every one then would be at Liberty to carve out for themselves a System of Morals, such [Page 59]as Inclination, not Reason, would dictate; the Contrivance and Execution of which would put all HELL in TRIUMPH, and the blessed bene­volent HOST of HEAVEN into MOURNING.

HAPPY, however, exceeding happy 'tis for the World that the Will of GOD is generally acknowledged as the Foundation, and the Fear of HIM, the kindly Remembrancer of all moral Ob­ligation. Few are so very hardy, except the rich and powerful, as to deny, that GOD is the Author of all the Relations that subsist, and consequently of the Duties arising from these Relations: And therefore all our Obligations to the Performance of these Duties terminate at last in the Will of the Creator; who, by creating us, created all these Relations, from whence both our moral and reli­gious Obligations are immediately deriv'd.

OUR Obligations then to GODLINESS, which comprehends every Duty, arise

• I FROM the Consideration of his having created us.
• [Page 60] AND II. From his providential Care over us, and continual Preservation of us in Being.
• AND III. From his having condescended to reveal his Will by his only begotten SON, who by his Death and Passion adopted us into the Number of the SONS of GOD.

  AND lastly, Because this Revelation contains nothing but what is both agreeable to REA­SON, and perfective of our NATURES.

THESE are the principal Obligations which we lie under to be PIOUS, JUST, and GOOD: Obligations sufficient, one would imagine, to in­duce every rational Agent to love, and conse­quently honour his Maker, not only with his Lips, but in his Life; not with Eye-Service, as Men-Pleasers, but as Men professing themselves Crea­tures of his Hands, and that consider the End of their Creation, the Means offer'd them in order that they might obtain Salvation, and the Voca­tion wherewith they are called. These Induce­ments [Page 61]to GODLINESS are, or at least ought to be, so well known, that I shall not make any fur­ther Observation upon them. And as I have prin­cipally insisted upon temporal Obligations to Vir­tue in these Discourses, I shall consider further, that we are obliged to practise Religion, first, be­cause 'tis easier for us to be good and virtuous, than wicked and vicious; and, secondly, because a religious Practice gains us Reputation; and lastly, because a Blessing will not only attend us if we hold fast our Integrity, but likewise descend upon our Posterity.

THE first of these Propositions is founded upon this Supposition, that we are obliged to contribute to our present Satisfaction in this Life; which none will deny except Enthusiasts, who make Religion, which is the greatest Disposer to Chearfulness, con­sist in Morosenfs, Gloominess, Melancholy. If this Position the granted, as it certainly ought, that we should endeavour to obtain present Ease and Happiness; it will hence follow, that Virtue ought to be embraced, and Vice avoided. For [Page 62]whatever Method gives us more Trouble in the Performance, gives us less Satisfaction, and con­sequently more Trouble and Uneasiness. That the Practice of Vice produces this Effect, is evi­dent from Experience. When a Man is vicious, and at the same Time is desirous of saving Ap­pearances, in order to keep up his Credit in the World, every one may imagine that he must be put to great Perplexities. The very Consciousness of Guilt makes the guilty Person think, that the earnest penetrating Look of another whom he meets, supposes a Knowledge of his Crime; and if he finds that it is known, it gives him additional Vexation, and he endeavours to lessen the Heinous­ness of his own Misdemeanours, by blackening the Reputation of those who have thus justly re­flected upon his Conduct. Thus one Vice is con­nected with another; and painful Reflections, the natural Result of, and the necessary Concomitant upon Vice, are, like JOB'S Comforters, miserable and unmerciful Tormenters of a wounded Con­science; which is but a sorry Recompence for the Loss of Virtue.

[Page 63]SUPPOSE too a Man is profuse and lavish in his Expences, and at the same Time covetous, (for Contradictions often meet in the same Person) Will not these very Extravagancies make him un­easy? And will not the Desire of supplying them be an Augmentation of his Unhappiness? Will he not, if he is not abandon'd, be afraid of a cen­sorious World? And if he is reduced at last to live upon the Generosity of Friends, whose Pity and Relief would be cruel, because attended with bitter Reflections upon his past Conduct, Would he not, which is too often the Case, chuse Strang­ling rather than Life!

AND supposing that his Covetousness does keep him from losing his ALL; yet Art in raising of Money; low Cunning used, in order to circum­vent the Unwary; Lies forged in order to gain Credit; and Promises to return what he is neither able nor willing to return; Fear of Creditors on one Hand, and of Poverty on the other; and in short, which he thinks the worst of his Case, the Fear of losing all Pleasure, and pleasurable Mo­ments, [Page 64]which he usually dedicated to Sensuality, are Things that must necessarily create Flatness of Spirits, distracted Thoughts, and Wearisomness of Life, before he has learn'd, what every one in this State of Probation ought to learn, to LIVE.

MAN was never design'd for such Misery. GOD, in all his Dispensations, design'd him Hap­piness: and if Man will counteract the all-merciful Designs of the most benevolent Being, is GOD or Man to blame? Man surely was not placed here mere­ly to stalk about, look about him, breathe the fresh Air, and to perform other Offices in common with other Animals, or to propagate Misery, Disorder, and Confusion in the World. He was placed here for wiser and nobler Ends. The proper Business of Man is WAR. His Enemies are his own FLESH and the DEVIL. When an HOUSE is divided against itself, except great Prudence be used, it must FALL; and as the grand Adver­sary the Devil acts unseen, and for that Reason is the more formidable, ought not greater Cir­cumspection, Foresight, and Activity to be used, [Page 65]in order to prevent both temporal and eternal Misery?

THE Prevention of both these the good Man has particularly in view. As he considers himself in a State of Warfare, he levies proper Forces to annoy his Enemies, arms himself with all the Christian Graces and moral Virtues, with which he is not only enabled to make a brave Defence against, but to conquer his Enemy.

THIS is no Difficulty to a Man of Courage, who is resolv'd, let others do what they will, that HE and HIS HOUSE will serve the LORD. He knows that the Ways of Vice are perplex'd and intricate, and terminate in Sorrow; and that tho' GODLINESS seems terrible to the Double­minded and Irresolute, yet a determin'd Con­stancy in the Practice of it, not only makes it easy, but desirable, convenient, pleasant.

WE find that Sloth and Idleness are the great Bars both to temporal and spiritual RICHES. [Page 66]They make every little seeming Difficulty a Bug­bear, a LION in the Way, tho' the Path will naturally bring a Man to present and future Emi­nence in Glory. ‘SEEST thou a Man diligent in his Business? Such an one shall stand before KINGS, he shall not stand before mean Men. Seest thou a Man pious, just and good? Such an one shall not only live with ANGELS, but with the LIVING ALMIGHTY GOD.’ All which may be obtain'd at the easy Expence of bringing every inordinate Affection in Subjection to the GOSPEL of CHRIST.

EASY and reasonable Terms as these are, they are reckon'd hard and unreasonable by the indo­lent, careless, and sensual Part of Mankind. But supposing them difficult, which there is no occa­sion to suppose, a Man of true Courage and E­levation of Soul would attempt the Practice of them for that very Reason; and the Pleasure that attends the conquering of a Difficulty would be a Motive sufficient for the Attempt.

[Page 67]HAPPY however it is, that no great Difficul­ties are to be met with in a Life of GODLINESS: All that are to be met with are of Men's own raising; they sin, and when they find it trouble­some to persist in it, they find it painful too to mea­sure back the Steps which they have already run in SIN. Here is the great Pain; which is easily prevented by keeping the Appetites under a con­tinued good Regulation, lest they should conceive and bring forth SIN, and therefore Sorrow, An­xiety, Remorse.

AS GODLINESS contributes to our present Satisfaction, by delivering us from, what is conse­quent upon the Practice of Vice, natural Evil; so likewise it establishes a Man's Reputation, and makes him esteem'd in Life.

AS Dishonesty brings a Man to Contempt, so Integrity, and a firm Adherence to Truth, is the most compendious Wisdom; it creates Confidence in those we have to deal with, saves the Labour [Page 68]of many Enquiries, and brings Things to an Issue in a few Words. Whereas Dishonesty is trouble­some, sets a Man's Invention upon the Rack, and one Trick needs a great many more to make it good. 'Tis like building upon a false Foundation; which continually stands in need of Props to shoar it up, and proves at last more chargeable, than to have raised a substantial Building at first upon a true and solid Foundation: But Integrity is firm and substantial, and there is nothing hollow and unsound in it; and, because it is plain and open, it fears no Discovery: it gains Strength by Use, and the more and longer any Man practises it, the greater Service it does his Reputation, by encou­raging those with whom he has to do, to repose the greatest Trust and Confidence in him; which, in Affairs of Life, is an unspeakable Advantage.

WERE Men of dishonest Minds only acquaint­ed with the Advantages resulting from an upright Conduct, they would be honest, not out of any Love for Truth, but out of mere Knavery, that they might more effectually advance their se­veral [Page 69]Interests. But divine Providence hath just­ly hid this truest Point of Wisdom from their Eyes, that bad Men might not be upon a Level with the Upright, and serve their wicked Designs by ho­nest and lawful Means.

INDEED, if Men were only to continue here for a Day, and had no Prospect of a future State, there might be less Reason for the securing of a good Reputation. But as Things are now consti­tuted, it behoves us particularly to have our CON­VERSATION honest in the Sight of all Men: Our Esteem amongst Men depends upon it; our Reputation is founded upon it; and, without it, neither a Blessing will descend upon us, or our POSTERITY: Which was the last Thing I pro­posed to consider.

GOD, as if Self-Love was not sufficient to make us observant of his Laws; and as if we were as careful of our Posterity as ourselves, has, upon Condition of Obedience to his just Com­mands, pronounced, not only upon us, but our [Page 68] [...] [Page 69] [...] [Page 70]POSTERITY, a Blessing. If then we have no Value for ourselves, let us, at least, value our De­scendants. If we are temperate in all Things, and Followers of that which is good, we do our best towards producing not only an healthy, but a nu­merous and pious Offspring.

AND if we look upon GOD'S Promises and Threats in no other Light than mere political In­ventions; yet we should, even in this Case, pay some Deference to human Authority, by a suitable Deportment, for the Contrivance of making the Community, and all the Members of it, HAPPY. For the Health of the several Members, is the Health and Support of the Body-Politick; where­as infirm, sickly Members, are the Destruction, the Death of the Constitution. It is the Duty of every one therefore to behave well, not only for his own Sake, but for the Sake of his Family, his Children, his Country.

BUT as the WORD of GOD is no human In­vention, but the Contrivance of DIVINITY it­self [Page 71]to make us HAPPY, why halt we between two Opinions? Why are we divided between GOD and the WORLD? Is his ARM shorten'd, or has he said that he will bless us and our Posterity, and will he not do it? ‘Consider the LILIES of the FIELD how they grow; they toil not, nei­ther do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that even SOLOMON in all his GLORY was not array'd like one of these: Wherefore, if GOD so clothe the Grass of the Field, which To-day is, and To-morrow is cast into the Oven; shall he not much more clothe you, if ye seek the Kingdom of HEAVEN, and his RIGHTE­OUSNESS, O ye of little Faith?"’

IF there be any amongst you that disbelieve these gracious Words of the LORD of LIFE, because you are either in distress'd Circumstances, or afflicted with Sickness, consider, before you accuse the just, the good, the merciful GOD of Injustice, whether your Thoughts, Words, and Actions, have been conformable to his Laws: If, upon the Research, you find that they have not, [Page 72]let me intreat you to lead a NEW Life, to trust and delight in the LORD, and he will not only FEED you, but grant you your Heart's Desire, and make your RIGHTEOUSNESS as clear as the LIGHT, and your just DEALING as the NOON-DAY.

AND supposing you have endeavour'd to pre­serve your Integrity in every Circumstance of Life, and have not fallen away in the Day of Tempta­tion; yet, notwithstanding this Regularity of Con­duct, you have met with various Afflictions to discompose both Body and Soul, and have re­ceiv'd, instead of a Blessing, what you think a Curse. Before in these Proceedings you call GOD unjust, consider, that the POTTER may deal with his CLAY as seems proper to him, and expose it to what fiery Trial he pleases, either with a View to try its Firmness, or to put it into a proper Temperament. Shall not GOD then have the same Power over his Creatures, as the POTTER has over his CLAY? Shall we receive GOOD at the Hand of GOD, and will we not be content [Page 73]to receive EVIL also? Observe the Characters of the faithful ABRAHAM and holy JOB: Did they in their several Trials repine, murmur, or charge GOD foolishly? Were they not humble, submissive, obedient? And are you much better than they, that you have the Boldness to say to your CREATOR, Why hast thou made me thus? You should rather shew, by your Resignation, your Obedience; and reflect that GOD, when he chas­tises you, looks upon you as SONS, and not BASTARDS. Temporal Evil therefore is a Bles­sing, a kindly Monitor of our dependent State, and that we ought to look for a better Country, more durable, eternal in the HEAVENS.

AND let us always remember, that the LORD ordereth a good Man's going, and maketh his Way acceptable to himself. Tho' he fall, he shall not be cast away; for the LORD upholdeth him with his HAND.

‘I HAVE been young, says the PSALMIST, and now am old, and yet saw I never the Righ­teous [Page 74]forsaken, or his Seed begging their Bread. The Righteous is ever merciful and lendeth, and his Seed is blessed.’

‘KEEP therefore INNOCENCY, and take Heed to the Thing that is right; for that, and that only, will bring a Man Peace at the last.’

WHICH that all of us may obtain, may GOD of his infinite Mercy grant, &c.

SERMON I.

THIS short Description seems to point out to us PRIDE, and one parti­cular Property of it, CONTEMPT. Loftiness of Eyes seems to intimate the inward Temper of Mind, a particular Distemper which it labours under; and by the Eye-Lids being lifted up, it discovers the Effect, which is produced by this Distemper. As every Distemper in the Body has its particular Symptom, and consequently is discoverable by it; so is every Distemper of the Mind express'd by some outward Sign, as de­monstrative of the inward Ailment. PRIDE [Page 124]then, that empty Tumor, is well signified by high LOOKS and lofty EYES; because every Tumor occasions a Stiffness of the Part affected; and if it be inward, and has any Relation to, or Com­munication with the outward Parts, an external Effect will be produced proportionable to the in­ward Cause. Thus PRIDE naturally swells the EYE, gives an high, indirect, unobserving CAST: And the EYE-LIDS lifted up signifies not only PRIDE, but also that the Person thus touch'd with it, is something, or, at least thinks himself something, of a more exalted Nature than those of the same Species with himself; and therefore it denotes CONTEMPT, which, of all other Effects, is least becoming frail human Nature, except it has for its Object, that greatest Disgrace of human Nature, VICE.

BUT it may be ask'd, Is Pride in no Sense commendable? Must it be condemn'd without Reserve? And will it admit of no Limitation? May not a Man be said to be ambitious of be­having [Page 125]well; and Ambition always supposes Pride as the Foundation of it?

IN this Case, where Pride is suppos'd the Spring of good Actions, it is taken for COU­RAGE or a SENSE of DUTY. When a Man contradicts Sense, and acts in Opposition to the common receiv'd Modes of Behaviour in the World, tho' he may be said, in the vulgar Way of speaking, to be proud or ambitious of Well­doing; yet such Actions cannot derive their Ori­ginal from PRIDE: because a bad Cause, such as Pride is, cannot produce a good Effect. Such Actions therefore must have a better and more noble Cause; and, I think, no better than the be­fore mentioned can be assign'd, namely, a SENSE of DUTY convey'd to Man by the GOSPEL-DISPENSATION. For this Sense has a noble End propos'd to it, HAPPINESS; and no Wonder that Courage, and all the Faculties of the Soul, are exerted in order to the Attainment of it.

BUT again, it may be ask'd, if a Man that [Page 126]has behav'd well, and even excell'd his Fellow-Creatures in performing the Duties of the GOSPEL, can have, for that Reason, a Tolera­tion for being proud: For good Actions always suppose MERIT; and consequently, one would imagine, that where there is Merit, a Man may think well of himself, or, in other Words, has Reason to be proud?

SUPPOSING then, according to the Question, that a Man acts up to the Prescriptions of the GOSPEL; and supposing even more, that he even performs every Precept; he does not there­fore merit, because he does only his Duty, and by Consequence has no Reason to be proud. But, if we consider the Infirmities of human Nature, its Proneness to, and its several Lapses, notwithstand­ing its utmost Caution, into SIN, we may rea­sonably conclude, that Pride was no more made for fallible Man, than the JEWEL for the SWINE'S SNOUT.

BESIDES, there is a Difference between Pride, [Page 127]and a Man's thinking well of himself. PRIDE is puffed up, and supposes more Merit than it really has; it is bold, haughty, presumptuous, re­quires a particular Respect and Deference to be paid to it, is a SCORNER, and a Raiser of Con­tention; and when the Sparks of Discord have nigh spent their Force, one Hint or single Expres­sion will add Fuel to the most extinguish'd Fire, and blow it into FLAME.

WHEREAS, the thinking well of one's self, tho' it does suppose comparative Merit as the Foundation of it, is not inconsistent with the greatest HUMILITY. Because, if we act ac­cording to the Rule of Life deliver'd to us in the GOSPEL, we must be virtuous, and more than nominal Christians; and consequently, there will arise from such a Tenor of Action, a tender SELF-COMPLACENCY, or sort of SELF-ESTEEM, which the wise Disposer of the DRAMA has, out of his great Goodness, given us; not only as a Fore-taste of our future Allotment, but likewise as a present Reward and Encouragement for us to be­have [Page 128]well in our several future Scenes upon the Stage of Life. We may then think well of our­selves upon a very laudable Account; because, upon comparing our Lives and Conversation with the GOSPEL RULE, we find, in the Result of the Comparison, that an entire Harmony reigns between our Faith and Practice; and consequently the Consciousness of having acted our Parts well upon this great Theatre, must not only, in the still Scenes of Life, but also when we sail upon a troubled Ocean, in a shatter'd BARK, afford us the greatest Comfort imaginable. Thus pleasant is one self-approving Hour; it shews the Soul's Health, and contributes to the Satisfaction of the Body: whereas PRIDE is the Disease of the Soul, and is to it, what too great Fulness of BLOOD is to the Body, the Vessels must burst by being overstrained, and a Dissolution is the soonest occasion'd by a TUMOR.

BUT, it may be asked, whether there be not a DIGNITY in human Nature; and if there is, [Page 129]that very Expression supposes a Reason to ground PRIDE upon

THOSE who talk the most loudly of Man's DIGNITY, may mention it upon three Accounts: either because it may boast of a divine Original; or, upon account of its future Prospect; or, be­cause it is endow'd with a reasoning Principle, which enables us to discover, in some Measure, its Duty towards that Being, who gave it its Exist­ence. And tho' many talk of this Dignity in any of these Senses, yet they do not suppose that Man has sufficient Reasons to be proud; since the WORM boasts the same ORIGINAL; since HUMILITY becomes a PILGRIM that has no continuing City here, and that is in quest after one to come; and since Reason, at the same Time that it evidences the Strength, gives demonstrative Proof of the Weakness of unassisted human Na­ture.

SINCE the PRIDE is not, in any of the be­fore mentioned Cases, a commendable Quality; [Page 130]and since there is a GENERATION whose EYES are lofty, and whose EYE-LIDS are lifted up, I shall consider,

• I. THE principal CAUSES of PRIDE. And,
• II. TWO particular SPECIES of it, and their EFFECTS, as discoverable in human Na­ture. And,
• LASTLY, I shall conclude with an Exhortation to HUMILITY.

FIRST then, I am to consider the principal CAUSES of PRIDE; and these are, Strength, Beauty, Riches, Honour, and Knowledge; con­cerning each of which I shall speak in the Or­der they now stand. As to the first, namely, STRENGTH, we shall have little Reason to be proud of it, if we do but consider how infinitely weak it is with respect to GOD that made us, how frail with respect to DURATION, and how liable every Moment to be lost. We generally [Page 131]value, or at least ought to value Things, either upon account of their DURATION or USE­FULNESS. A Man's Strength, in the ordinary Course of Things, cannot be of long Continuance; it may stay with him in the Bloom and Meridian of Life: But when he descends the Hill, the Blood no longer performs the same brisk Circulation; Nature grows weak and languid, and Sickness, at last, puts a final Period to the Ruins of old Age. Thus this boasted STRENGTH, or rather Weak­ness, is soon brought to DESOLATION, and becomes the FOOD of WORMS. Such a Con­sideration is sufficient, one would imagine, to hin­der us from rejoicing in having strong Bones, Nerves, and Sinews. But, considering the many Accidents of Life, which in an Instant can deprive us of our mighty STRENGTH, we have no Rea­son to glory in it upon account of its DURATION.

ITS USEFULNESS however, one would think, might furnish us with Matter for Pride; since by it we are enabled to surmount great Dif­ficulties, and endure the several Vicissitudes of [Page 132]FORTUNE with the greater Firmness, and are in a Capacity to attack the common Enemy of our Country (for ^* Courage is oftner owing to Con­stitution than Reflection) with greater Magnani­mity.— Notwithstanding 'tis attended with these and many such Advantages, yet we ought not to conclude from thence, that a Man should so far forget himself as to be ignorant that it is the GIFT of GOD; and that 'tis the same Being that he ought to be grateful to for the Continuance of it.—Be­sides, if our CREATOR had thought it very per­fective of our Natures, it would not be so un­equally distributed amongst the human Race; for it often happens that STRENGTH is void of WISDOM, and that the greatest Souls take up their Residence in the minutest Bodies: which certainly is a presumptive Argument, at least, that we ought not be proud of our great STRENGTH: But, if Men will be proud of it, let them herd with the Brute-Creation, who enjoy it in a much greater Perfection, without shewing they are proud [Page 133]of it; and then they may learn, like NEBUCHAD­NEZZAR, not to be high-minded, but fear.

BUT if nothing else would bring such proud Men to Reason, the bad Effects consequent upon this sort of Pride might be sufficient to terrify them from thus misplacing their Affections. Con­tention, Duelling, Bloodshed, and Death, are too often the mournful Attendants upon it. Such proud Contemners of HEAVEN do not consider, that a BLESSING is particularly pronounced upon those who are the Maintainers of PEACE; and that they, and they particularly, shall be called the CHILDREN of GOD.

AS Strength affords no Reason for Pride; so neither does BEAUTY, a Set of Features or Com­plexion, nor a just Harmony and Proportion between the several Parts of the Body. The FLOWERS of the FIELD are just Emblems of BEAUTY, and are a lively Representation of its Frailty and short Duration. It appears charming in the Spring and Summer of Life; but in its [Page 134]Winter, scarce any faint Traces or Resemblance, of what it was, appear. Hollow Eyes, a wrinkled furrowed Front, and meagre Cheeks, are the dis­mal Exchanges; and make us reflect upon this pre­sent Earth, which, by its Ruins, gives us a faint Idea of the Beauty of the ancient World. To this unpleasant State the most consummate BEAUTY will be reduced by OLD AGE. It is not, how­ever, the only Enemy that Beauty has to encoun­ter with; the whole Family of DISEASES are set in Battle-Array against it, and attack it very often in the Bloom of Life, and bring it to a sudden Desolation. But how dismal is the Condition of a Beauty either decay'd by Sickness or Old Age! Can she lose this Cause of her Pride without a Sigh? Nay, rather does she not shed Floods of Tears at the very Thought of it? Is she not de­jected, sullen, melancholy? And, what is worst of all, when she appears abroad, is she not conscious that those, whom she formerly contemn'd, will scorn her, and turn her to Ridicule? Will not the Neglect of cultivating her better Part, and of pro­curing what is above all Price, and the greatest [Page 135]Ornaments of her Sex, the Beauties of the Mind, strike her dumb with Amazement at her own ig­norant Choice? What is it now that she has lest to charm Mankind with in the Room of Beauty? Has she good Sense; nay, has she tolerable unim­prov'd Sense? Do not her former Admirers won­der at themselves for thinking her a WIT whilst she had Beauty? She mostly resembles an IDOL placed in a magnificent TEMPLE, whose Propor­tions are just, Features regular, and Varnish ex­quisite. In such a Situation the Spectators think something more than Human inhabits the Place, till TIME, that great Discoverer of human Va­nities, makes the Temple and Idol gradually de­cay, and moulder into its primitive Atoms: And how ridiculous must it be to find, after so many Years of Idolatry, instead of a DEITY, an un­thinking IDOL! Thus a proud BEAUTY ap­pears upon the Stage of Life; where Art and Na­ture equally contribute to the Decoration of her Externals; where she has similar Devotion paid to her, and much the same wrong-headed unthink­ing Attendants, till Time or Accident discovers [Page 136]the Cheat, and frees he Admirers from their im­pious Devotions.

BEAUTY, indeed, when attended with Inno­cence, and cloath'd in Humility, attract strongly the Eyes of the Beholders, awes the Libertine into Virtue, silences, by a constant Perseverance in Well-doing, the Stings of Envy and Detraction, humanizes the cruel, and polishes the Savage into Man. But such a divine Person is a Rarity: It appears only sometimes in the World like a METEOR; which, tho' it enlightens, astonishes the Spectator, and fills them with nothing but Admiration.

BEAUTY then, when unattended with Virtue and good Sense, must chuse itself, as 'tis of a so­cial Nature, Companions of a degenerate Kind; and there are too many to press into the Service. VICES, of all Complexions, present themselves as VOLUNTIERS; and the Mind being at Leisure, 'tis no Wonder that they gain Admittance, and that Follies prevail in the Absence of WISDOM. [Page 137]Why should we any longer admire that Pride and Vanity are the Handmaids of Beauty? since all the Avenues to the Soul are not guarded by Wis­dom and Prudence; and since that busy flattering Thing within us must have Materials to work upon; and since there is no nearer an Object of Thought than SELF, it may be an easy Conse­quence to be proud of this accidental, transitory, personal Perfection, whose Enjoyment is TROU­BLE, and whose End is BITTERNESS. Be­sides, as in SEDITION, there are never wanting Incendaries to blow up the Sparks of Discord into Flame, so it happens to a beautiful Person: En­comiums, Praise, Adulation, are generally the baneful Poison serv'd up to BEAUTY: Each Pas­sage to the Heart therefore should be fortified by WISDOM; otherwise the Poison will work and destroy that Virtue, most becoming frail Human Nature, HUMILITY.

IF Beauty, indeed, was of a durable Nature, there might be some Excuse for being proud of it: But since 'tis rather an imaginary than a real [Page 138]Good; and since 'tis a Snare rather than a Bles­sing to the Possessor; since it leads People to the Cultivation of the Body, to the Neglect of the bet­ter Part, the Soul; and since 'tis almost as frail as the FLOWER of the FIELD; we should no longer, for these Reasons, be proud of Beauty: But, if we will, let us consider that to be proud of a Frailty, and consequently of a Weakness, is the Disgrace, the DEATH of REASON.

BUT, as frail and perishing as Strength and Beauty are, yet, in the true Estimate of Things, we have less Reason to be proud of RICHES; since they are more foreign to us, and contribute nothing to the Perfection of our Natures; since they are said to make themselves WINGS and to fly away; and since they ought to be valued ac­cording to the Use that is made of them. We ought therefore rather to be proud of the Use­fulness of Riches, than Riches themselves; because it is not possible that inanimate Matter should have any intrinsick Merit in it. One would imagine, that a little shining Metal would not make us look [Page 139]big, and attract our Attention more than what is of infinitely more Consequence, the TREASURES of HEAVEN. But, 'tis said, that RICHES make the GENTLEMAN: And so it seems, if we would form our Judgment from the general Behaviour of the World. If a Man has a splendid Fortune, he is thought to have Reason to be proud; and such a Deference is generally paid this Son of Fortune, that he begins to think himself Master of some Qualification that he did not per­ceive before. No Wonder then that this Man of OPULENCE and CONDITION, considering that he has so many cringing, fawning Sycophants about him, becomes his own IDOL. Notwithstanding, however, the wrong Judgment of the World in general, it has been justly observ'd, that Manners and good Sense constitute the Man, without taking the additional APPARATUS of Fortune into Consideration. Our Necessities, indeed, and Conveniences of Life, without mentioning them as necessary in every State, make Riches valuable. They may be splendid Proofs of HUMILITY, and other Christian Graces; they may, by our [Page 140]feeding the hungry, and instructing the ignorant, and other Instances of Christian Charity, not only be the happy Passports thro' the Gates of true FAME here; but, what is inexpressibly better, convey us to a glorious heavenly JERUSALEM, where are RIVERS of PLEASURE at GOD'S Right-hand for evermore. Who then in his Senses would make any other Use of Riches? Who any longer would make them the Instruments of Pride, Ambition, Pomp, and Grandeur? Nay, who, that has any Reflection, would place any Trust in un­certain Riches? Do they shew any GODLIKE POWER? Can they save or deliver from PAIN? Or, can they free us from DEATH? Are they not rather oftenest the Instruments of Pain, and the infallible Cause of a sudden Death? Why then should we look upon them as our Support and ROCK of DEFENCE, since the Hour of DEATH, the most solemn Part of Time allow'd to Morta­lity, discovers their Weakness and want of Power? They are then seen with Impartiality, and found, like all other Idols of Mankind, but VANITY.

[Page 141]BUT ought not that to be exceedingly valued that procures us all the Satisfaction in Life, and makes LIFE'S CUP go sweetly down? Ought not that which procures us Friends, Dependents, Equipage, rich Lands, magnificent Buildings, and the PRIDE of Life, to gain our Affections more than any thing besides? Would we not be ungrate­ful if we did not set our Hearts upon them?

WE would be ungrateful if we did set our Hearts upon them. GOD will not suffer divided Affecti­ons; for he is a jealous GOD, and will not allow of any Thing to stand in Competition with him. 'Tis reasonable that it should be so. Are not we his Workmanship? Did he not fashion us? And, if he did, as Reason and Revelation loudly pro­claim that he did, is it not reasonable that the Crea­ture should pay Homage to the CREATOR in Token of his Dependence? If in civil Life one petty PRINCE shall pay Homage to another of superior Dignity for some little earthly Dominion; how much more agreeable to Reason is it, that he, who giveth Life and every good Thing, should [Page 142]receive daily Homage of PRAISE and THANKSGI­VING, from those he has created? Besides, is it not absurd to love a Creature more than the CRE­ATOR? Are not Riches his Creatures, and are they not fram'd by the wise Disposer of all Things for our Use? We ought not then to turn GOD'S Mercies to our Destruction, but to make them sub­servient to one great End we should always have in view, the SALVATION of our SOULS. This will always make Riches flow in their proper Channel, and their Stream will convey us regularly and uniformly till we reach the Ocean of ETER­NITY. If we make Riches our STAY, our BOAST, our COMFORT, and only Support, it would be no Wonder if GOD say to us as he did to the rich Man in the GOSPEL, ‘Ye FOOLS, this Night your SOULS are required of you.’ This Exertion of his Power would shew the No­thingness of Riches, and his Right of Dominion.

AND tho' Riches are said to procure us the Sa­tisfactions of Life, yet the glittering Outside of an ample Fortune is too often like the DOCTOR'S [Page 143]MEDICINE, or the WHITED SEPULCHRE; Poison or Rottenness are generally latent under these specious Coverings, and are true Emblems of high Life, Pomp, and Splendor. Men only see the gilded EXTERNAL; they cannot see Care, Envy, Malice, Ambition, and all the Passions, strengthned by luxurious Living, by Indulgence, and for want of proper Controul. Could Men see these licentious unrestrained Passions of the Mind exerted, and PRIDE directing this Storm of the Soul, they might have a very good Notion of a raging SEA, where Waves succeed Waves with the utmost Violence, and are agitated into Foam by the strongest of all Pilots, the WIND. Thus it is when Reason does not preside at the Helm; instead of the Passions, those Elements of Life, directing and wafting us like gentle BREEZES thro' this troubled OCEAN of Life, we find nothing but Disorder and a kind of ANARCHY; where each separate Passion would direct the HUMAN BARK its own Way, with­out listening to the Dictates of Reason, or the pun­gent Gnawings of a troubled Conscience.

[Page 144]BESIDES, we often find that amidst the Abundance of all Things, the Heart is cloy'd with desiring, and the Senses with Gratification; and, on the contrary, we may observe, that there are others whose Desires increase with their Re­venues, and, like HAMAN, their Minds are not easy or serene, but rather a jarring Scene of un­harmoniz'd Passions, as long as they meet with any Obstacles to their aspiring Hopes.

HENCE it appears, that Satisfaction or Con­tentment is not consequent upon the Enjoyment of RICHES; and therefore we have no Reason to be proud of that, which, impartially considered, according to its real Worth, produces no solid Content. Pain, Sickness, and Death, are good CRITERIONS by which we may judge of their Worth, and discover them in any of these States as a false FRIEND in the Time of ADVERSITY; neither of them discover any Signs of Relief, but are strong convincing Arguments of Affections misplaced, and of the want of a quick Apprehen­sion and a discerning Judgment.

[Page 145]THO' we ought not to be proud of Strength, Beauty, or Riches; yet Honour, it may be ima­gin'd, is a good Foundation for Pride: But to this I shall speak, with GOD'S Leave, at another Opportunity.

NOW to GOD the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST, be ascrib'd, as is most due, all Honour and Praise, Might, Ma­jesty, and Dominion, NOW and for EVER­MORE.

SERMON II.

IN a former Discourse upon these Words, I propos'd to consider the several CAUSES of PRIDE, which generally excite that hellish Passion in human Nature. These Causes which I took Notice of, such as Strength, Beauty, Riches, Honour, and Knowledge, are the great Elaters of the human Mind; tho' indeed some, to the Disgrace of Reason be it spoken, are so lost in Sensuality, that they are proud of Vice and Folly: And others again are so stupidly vain, and are so little deserving of the Blessings of Health, [Page 148]that they are proud of nothing but what is an entail'd Curse upon human Nature, DISEASE. If such have Reason to be proud, the WORMS certainly, that devour such vain corrupted Wretches, ought no longer by their creeping to shew their Humility, but erect the HEAD, and set up a stiff NECK. Others again are so humble, that they are proud of Disgrace, Contempt, and, what now-a-days passes for the greatest Contumely, and is the most detested, POVERTY: And others, in short, are so humble, that they are proud of a wick­ed rich Man's Company; and think so meanly of themselves, as first to get drunk, and afterwards, like SWINE, to wallow in the MIRE: And some Men are so submissive, as to to think it an Honour, and are consequently proud, of being the standing Jest of Men superior to themselves either in Fortune or Preferment; and they measure their own Greatness, which is an amazing Argument of their Stupidity, according to the Ridicule with which they are receiv'd. But such Men that are thus ridiculously proud, are not worth a serious Reproof; I leave them therefore to be treated with, [Page 149]what they are so mighty fond of, RIDICULE. I shall proceed to the more natural Causes of PRIDE which remain to be consider'd, namely, HONOUR and KNOWLEDGE.

AND first, with respect to HONOUR, some may imagine that it is a good Foundation for Pride; because it supposes Merit in the Person honour'd; it supposes Honour to be due to per­sonal Merit; and that Merit thus honour'd should appear something superior to the rest of Mankind: because Eminence of Station conveys to us an Idea of Grandeur, Magnificence, and Superiority.

THAT Merit should be honour'd is not the Question; but whether the Person thus honour'd upon account of his Merit should be proud of it, [...]s the Question to be solv'd; which indeed will admit of no Dispute, if we do but consider its Uncertainty, Emptiness, and Unsatisfactoriness. HONOUR, as its consists in the Idea of Persons about us, must be very precarious. Some there are, who will not allow us any Merit; and conse­quently [Page 150]will neither honour or esteem us. Others there are, who, notwithstanding we have no Merit, yet, upon account of some Advantage accruing to them from us, will both honour and esteem us. Hence then this sort of Honour is uncertain, be­cause it depends upon the Notions of People about us; it is of a precarious Tenure, because People's Minds are changeable upon the least Hint; and, by Consequence, we are often deemed honourable or dishonourable with little or no Reason, out of Whim and Contradiction, out of Malice or Good-nature. This is the general Way of judging by the Bulk of Mankind. But if we would be proud of any sort of Honour attributed to us, we should be proud then, and only then, when the Man of true Honour, and an honest Heart, of sound Principles, and impartial Judgment, condescends to honour us with particular Marks of Esteem; then we might conclude with the MORALIST, ‘That it is a glorious Thing to be commended by a person of known Integrity.’ This, how­ever, in reality, ought not to be the Occasion of Pride; but rather an Incentive to adorn our Minds [Page 151]with every Christian Virtue which would promote the Peace and Tranquility of the human Soul.

IF we consider the Honours and Titles of Men in an higher Sphere of Action, we shall see less Reason to be proud of them. When Men are in full Pursuit after them, they are charming to the Eye, and fill the Imagination with chimerical No­tions of Happiness; the Prospect at a Distance is delightful, tho' the Way to them, is, like the Way to HEAVEN, narrow, rugged, intricate. They appear like a MEADOW at a Distance, nothing but one continued BED of FLOWERS; but when the Candidates for them have gain'd the Summit, they find, to their great Disappointment, the FLOWERS thin-sown, the WEEDS innumerable. Thus empty and unsatisfactory are the Honours and Titles that Men make such a Bustle about: They are like the poor MAHOMETAN'S Dreams of sensual Pleasure in his future Paradise; which, if Scripture and Reason may be credited, will, in the End, like all other DREAMS, appear no­thing else but mere Delusion. That Honours and [Page 152]Titles are of the same unsatisfactory Nature, we are inform'd by that best of all Informers, EXPE­RIENCE. While Men are in quest after them, they are then thought to be great Augmentations of Happiness; not considering, that what they pur­sue is within themselves, in their own Power: otherwise the greatest, far the greatest Part of Mankind, that are depriv'd of Honours and Titles, would be unhappy, and live in a particular Flat­ness of Spirits, would be pensive, and overcome with the black Passions. We find, on the con­trary, that Happiness is confin'd to no Station; if a Man will think himself happy, he is happy: it therefore consists in Opinion, is a THOUGHT, and has its Existence no-where but in the BRAIN. Those then that are content with their present Allotment assign'd them by Providence, are as happy as this present State of Things will al­low them. But such as are always thirsting after something external, are unhappy: the De­sire supposes a Want; and where Want is, there is a Want of Happiness. Both those then that are in quest after Honours and Titles, and those that [Page 153]recede from Honours and Preferments, and find no Satisfaction in Titles, must be unhappy; be­cause Change of Station supposes Unhappiness in the Stations from whence both Parties receded. Agreeable to this is the Opinion of the HEA­THEN MORALIST, ‘We seem, says he, as if surfeited with the Toils of STATE, and therefore chuse a fit Place for Contemplation; yet in that very Place of Retirement, where we thought to have met with Composure, Ambi­tion springs up with a fresh GALE, and drives our shatter'd BARKS into a second OCEAN of Troubles.’ Thus Happiness is the Growth of no particular Soil, confined to no Age or Situation in Life; 'tis every where, where there is Content­ment, but never there where the Appetities are un­ruly, and where Cares are predominant. The still Scenes of Life bid fairest for it; and high Life is the most remarkable for the Want of it. Why then should Men pursue after that, which, in the very Pursuit, is troublesome; whose Enjoyment is unsatisfactory, and whose Conclusion is Vanity? And certainly 'tis very unbecoming a rational Be­ing, [Page 154]whose Hopes and Views are not limited by Time, but extended to Eternity, to pursue after, place his Confidence in, and be proud of Unhap­piness. SOLOMON, as much as any Man living, experienced the Truth of this Observation. He gathered together every Thing that he thought would contribute to his Happiness; he became great, and increased more than any before him at JERUSALEM, and with-held not his Heart from any Joy: But what was the Result of this Enquiry? Nothing but a melancholy REFLECTION, that all was VANITY and VEXATION of SPIRIT. In the next Place he consider'd WISDOM and FOLLY, and MADNESS, and saw that Wisdom excelleth Folly, as LIGHT excelleth DARK­NESS. But whether we ought to be proud of it shall be our next Enquiry.

THAT we ought not to be proud of WIS­DOM, the End proposed to be obtained by it is a sufficient Evidence. It has been observ'd that all our Knowledge is to know ourselves. We are to consider the different Relations we stand in to [Page 155]GOD and Mankind, our extensive Ignorance and minute Knowledge. If this be thoroughly weigh­ed, this very Knowledge will awake the sleeping Sparks of Humanity in us, and make us think justly of GOD, meanly of ourselves, and humane­ly of our Fellow-Creatures. Reason was given us for wise Ends. At the same Time that it as­sists us in the several Necessaries and Occurrences of Life; it is a Light to guide our Steps in all moral and religious Truths. But at the same Time that it is a principal Assistant in the Attain­ment of Knowledge, it ought to be a Check upon us, on Supposition that we are more knowing than other Men. Letters were term'd HUMANIORES by the LATINS; because they were supposed to polish and refine Men's Manners: And the POETS supposed that Learning had the Power of huma­nizing Savages into Men. But 'tis strange that those, who are the most remarkable for an exten­sive Knowledge, should be the greatest Examples of INHUMANITY: Stranger still that those, who teach Mankind their Duty, should be the first TRANSGRESSORS of it: Strangest still that [Page 156]those, who contradict the whole World, should not be able to bear one single Contradiction. If in common Conversation such give a full Liberty to their Tongues, Scandal flows from them in co­pious Streams, and, like WATER that partakes of the MINERAL thro' which it passes, always leaves a Stain behind that denotes its Impurity. Such Men have not yet attained the greatest Knowledge, the Knowledge of themselves. They have indeed the Knowledge that PUFFETH UP; which, like the PHILOSOPHY of old, is vain, empty, and engenders PRIDE.

BUT ought not the Knowledge of our exces­sive IGNORANCE to pull down our VANITY? Do we know certainly what passes within us; do we know ourselves? Do not we seem rather to have no Notion, if we are to be judg'd by our Ac­tions, of our BEINGS, End, and Aim? And with respect to Things without us, can we be said to have any Knowledge to boast of? Can we comprehend their Natures, Uses, and Ends for which they were created? Do we know Causes [Page 157]from ^* Effects? or can we really account for all or any Appearances of Nature? Is not rather most of what we call Knowledge of these Things found­ed on Conjecture? And even with relation to our Duty, do we know when VIRTUE ends and VICE begins? Are we not rather often ignorant of the Boundaries of each? And if it be admitted that we are ignorant of the most common Occurrences, why should we any longer pretend to fathom, by our finite Capacities, the Mysteries of the GOSPEL, or correct the various Dispensations of PROVI­DENCE, as if we were wiser than the wise DIS­POSER of all Things? This carping State of ours mostly resembles, if I may be allowed the poeti­cal Comparison, the FLY placed upon a large TOWER; which, tho' it cannot see an Inch around [Page 156] [...] [Page 157] [...] [Page 158]it, yet it has the Impudence to condemn the Structure of the whole. So 'tis with Man placed in this Sphere of Action; he is more apt to cavil with GOD'S Proceedings, than humbly to ac­quiesce in real Ignorance. The Truth is, every one would be term'd a Man of Knowledge. Hence arise Endeavours to strike out new Lights, which oftentimes, instead of serving as a CLUE to guide us out of the Laybrinths of Error, only increase the Mazes, and bewilder the Reasoning Faculty. Hence arise Cavils, Disputes, Criticisms. Authors are made to speak, by a perverse Inter­pretation, a Sense they never meant; and often every Error, every Folly, is to the SCRIPTURE laid. A sad Instance this, of the Ignorance or Per­verseness of human Nature! A pregnant Proof of Vanity, Self-sufficiency, and Disingenuity! Such should consider, however, that then Men shew the greatest Signs of Knowledge, when they ingenu­ously own, that they know nothing as they ought to know. This Humility is generally the Product of great Experience, laborious Thinking, Love of Retirement, and an assiduous Application to Books; [Page 159]and no Wonder, since the Knowledge of the great Ignorance of Mankind naturally leads, or ought to lead Men, at least, to the Suspicion of their own.

BUT supposing that we do know a little, which is nothing in Comparison to what we are ignorant of, what Reason is there for us to be proud of it? If it be true, that an Increase of KNOWLEDGE is an Increase of SORROW, cer­tainly there can be no Reason or Foundation for being proud of Knowledge. Would not every Person of Sense imagine that he, who is proud of a Disease or any Distemper, because 'tis fashionable, is a proper Object for Ridicule? And, by Parity of Reason, I think, none who have experienced that the Search after Knowledge is painful, causes a Wearisomeness of the FLESH, and damages the Organs of THINKING, will conclude that Men ought to be proud of what they know; because 'tis an Absurdity to maintain that Men ought to be proud of that which contributes largely to the Unhappiness of Life.

[Page 160]THIS Pride, however, does not take its Rise from the Knowledge of our DUTY. Christianity inspires no such Meanness; HUMILITY is pre­scrib'd as the properest Dress for Man to appear in; and human Nature is the Object of universal Benevolence. If Men were not above studying the SACRED RULE of Life, we should meet with more Humility, and less Contempt; more Can­dour in judging; and less Rancour; more Sincerity, and less Cunning; a tenderer Regard for human Misery, and less Fondness for SELF.

BUT as long as this divine LUMINARY'S for­got, neglected, despis'd, it is no Wonder that FOLLY springs up and choaks the remaining Seeds of VIRTUE. Is there a Man wise in his own CONCEIT, that boasts of his superior Know­ledge, and, in consequence of that, grows super­cilious? There is more Hope of a FOOL than of him. Is there a Man passionate when his Sen­timents are contradicted? There is more Hope of the Conversion of an INFIDEL than of him. Is there a Man doubting of, and consequently en­quiring [Page 161]into the Foundation of moral Obligation, whether it is placed in the Nature, Reason, or Truth, or Relation of Things, without taking into Consi­deration the greatest Incentive to Action, the WILL of GOD? Such a one may shew himself a proud Reasoner; but he will make us think, that he has little Reason for Action, and is not too much bur­then'd with CHRISTIANITY. Such generally usher their Sentiments into the World not with too much Civility and Complaisance. Words, how­ever, deliver'd with Modesty, Deference, and In­genuity, best become fallible Man; whereas Words deliver'd with a scornful Tone of Voice, with a contemptible Look, and haughty Gesture, either move our Pity, Laughter, or Hatred of the ridi­culous Speaker. Pride makes a Man discover his Knowledge, and consequently his Ignorance, at once; but Modesty, like the blushing ROSE, only unfolds its Beauties by Degrees, that the World might not be dazzled with all its Charms at one View.

A smattering Knowledge in the SCIENCES has [Page 162]been look'd upon as a dangerous Thing; it is apt to intoxicate, and make the Head giddy: It is incumbent upon us therefore to drink deep, or taste not of the Fountains from whence our Know­ledge flows. If we look into the World, we shall see the bad Effects of little Knowledge; we shall have a full View of CONTROVERSY, and all its noisy Attendants, Anger, Abuse, Detraction, Im­pertinence, Insincerity, all enlisted to fight under her Banners, and PRIDE commanding the At­tack. Better would it be, if Men were ingenuous with a little Knowledge, than employ an ex­tensive Knowledge in order to corrupt Men's Mo­rals, or to the Prejudice of Religion: Better 'tis to know nothing, than to use a little, or an exten­sive Knowledge, to their eternal Ruin. FOOLS are suffer'd to speak for our Diversion and Amuse­ment; but learned, or half-learned Fools, that misapply extraordinary or tolerable Talents, and are actuated by a bad Principle, such as Pride is, must remember, that PRIDE generally goes be­fore a FALL; that it is contemn'd by good Men in this World; and, what is an Aggravation of it, [Page 163]it is an ABOMINATION to the great JUDGE of Heaven and Earth, both in this World and in that which is to come.

SINCE then none of the before-mentioned Arguments made Use of in the Behalf of PRIDE are significant, I shall, as I proposed in the second Place, consider two particular SPECIES of Pride, and their EFFECTS, as distinguishable in human Nature.

THE first that I shall mention is PRIDE in POWER, which is of an assuming Nature, and thinks that every thing is its Due: It contemns and looks upon all Mankind as its Vassals; and consequently, if it meets with Opposition, it swells itself into a Tumor, and, like imprison'd SUL­PHUR and NITRE, when rarified to a great De­gree, it thunders out Destruction against every thing that opposes its Course. SELF generally does, and indeed ought to mingle with all our Actions; and what has been said of that soft Pas­sion of the human Soul, LOVE, is more appli­cable [Page 164]to SELF; for it more particularly mingles with Life, and forms the very Soul. But for a Man to shew too great an Esteem for SELF, in Exclusion of all benevolent Affections towards human Nature, and all good Dispositions towards GOD, is in reality to make himself both IDOL and IDOLATER. Criminal, indeed: 'Tis to set up an Idol, in any Sense, in opposition to the true GOD; but to set up Imperfection against all possible Perfection, is to act contrary to common Sense, and the Dictates which our common Infir­mities suggest to us.

THIS sort of Pride may truly be reckoned a false MIRROR: It magnifies Objects above their natural Magnitude, and makes even the Infirmi­ties of our Nature appear as something merito­rious; it gives a Gloss and false Colouring to every Action, and hinders a Man from thinking like a moral Agent, from speaking like a rational one, and from acting like a CHRISTIAN. A Man of this wrong Turn is supercilious, because vain, affected in his Discourse, and generally speaks [Page 165]as if he trode in BUSKINS; because to talk other­wise would be falling from his Dignity, and a cri­minal Compliance with the Vulgar: He loves to see People flock to his LEVEE, because that proclaims his Greatness; and to keep them to dance Attendance a good while, before that he is pleased to favour them with an Admittance, at once demonstrates his Superiority and their De­pendence.

BUT, what is worst of all, to be favour'd with a gracious SMILE, after some Years fruitless At­tendance, is often look'd upon as an hopeful Re­ception; tho' it too often proves a pregnant Evi­dence of his Insincerity, and their want of Dis­cretion.

THIS Method of acting is generally observ'd by the proud Man towards those that are not of a much inferior Rank. But if we view him in ano­ther Light, in relation to the Bulk of Mankind, we shall find him their TYRANT, not their BENEFACTOR; he considers them as made for [Page 166]his Service, and values them only, as we do BRUTES, for their Usefulness. If they offend him, he rages; if they contradict him, he is fu­rious, and ready to commit the greatest Violence: and, what is worst of all, he carries his Honour in the Point of his SWORD; not considering that Humility is the greatest Ornament of Greatness, and that Humanity exercis'd towards Mankind, that partake of the same common Nature, that have the same CREATOR, the same REDEEMER, and the same SANCTIFIER, join'd with the same Prospect of Happiness, is what becomes every Descendant from ADAM.

BUT if we shift the Scene, and introduce this proud Man under the Character of a FRIEND, we shall find that he is not capable of that Refine­ment, that Delicacy of Soul, which is necessary to the very Existence of Friendship. Can he throw off that Affectation of Superiority, which, when affected, is generally the DEATH of Friendship? Can he, in common Conversation on indifferent Matters, give Ear to a Friend's Advice? Can he [Page 167]thwart his own Inclination, in order to do him a Pleasure? Can he forgo an Advantage, that he may thereby be serviceable to his Friend? Will he make his Friend's Cause his own? Will he oblige him, without telling him of the Obligation? Will he connive at his Failings, without making them the Subject of his rude Mirth, and ill-timed Ri­dicule? Will he comfort him in Sickness; or, when under the Pressure of adverse Fortune, will he sup­port him? Nay, rather, will he not expose him to a merciless World; which will scoff at Poverty, and sneer at human Misery; whose Pity is even cruel, and whose Charity, because attended with barbarous Reflections, is almost equal to the Agonies of Death? The Truth is, the proud Man, as he would not chuse to have any upon a Level with himself, cannot have a true Friend; he may be attended with Sycophants, and such whose In­terest it is to keep fair with him; he may have Vassals that will give into any criminal Com­pliances in Obedience to an imperious Master; but he is depriv'd of true Friends, whose Counsels are the MEDICINE of Life, whose WOUNDS are [Page 168]faithful, and whose AFFECTIONS are per­petual.

THE Reason is, there cannot be an Union of Souls where a Distance is kept up, and where Men endeavour to maintain an Inequality: Where there is a Distance, there is Reservedness; where there is Reservedness, there is want of Confidence; where there is a want of Confidence, there is a want of Sincerity: and when all, or any of these, are wanting, no real Friendship can exist.

THIS is the very Case of the proud Man: His Dependants fear him, and, perhaps, hate him; his Equals contemn him, and, if he has Superiors, they make a Jest of him: and this too is owing to his contemptuous Behaviour, and his supposed Inequality which he affects towards other Men. Well were it for such a Man, if he were placed in such a Situation of Life where he might taste the Sweets of Friendship: He would no longer prac­tise the forbidding Aspect, the haughty Gesture, or the civil Leer; a gentle Softness would steal [Page 169]upon him unawares, and make him feel, what he never felt before, Joys at another's Prosperity, and a becoming Distress for another's WOES.

BUT the principal Reason why he is not susceptible of Friendship, is, because proud and haughty SCORNER is his Name, because he dealeth in proud WRATH. As Virtue is the BASIS or Foundation of all true Friendship, so Vice is the Death of it. Anger, proud Anger especially, is a fruitful Source of Ills; it is an Enemy to Truth, Peace, Candour, Benevolence, and, by Consequence, is a mortal Enemy to Friendship's sacred Flame. Friendship has been call'd a RELIGION that takes its Source from the first, and points, like it to HEAVEN, and almost in this Scene of Misery antidates its Bliss. Miserable then must be the Condition of this proud Man without this BALSAM of Life; because Health is reckon'd a DISEASE, Life DEATH, without the agreeable Society of a Friend.

[Page 170]BUT of this, and some other Effects, I shall speak, GOD willing, at some other Time.

NOW to GOD the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST, be ascrib'd, as is most due, all Honour and Praise, Might, Majesty, and Do­minion, NOW and for EVERMORE.

SERMON III.

IN two former Discourses upon these Words I considered, first, the several Causes of Pride; which, either upon Account of their uncertain Tenure, or their Unsatisfactoriness, could not be any proper Foundation for such an Elation of Mind. In the next Place I proposed to treat of two particular Species of Pride, and their Ef­fects. And, lastly, to conclude with an Exhorta­tion to Humility. One Species of Pride, which is Pride in Power, and one Effect of it, namely, its being incapable of Friendship, I have already [Page 172]consider'd. I come now to consider farther this proud Man in a RELIGIOUS VIEW; and here we shall find him behaving after the same Manner to his GOD, as he did to his Neighbour. For it may be observ'd as an invariable Maxim, that a Man that has not good Principles in Morality, can never have good ones in Religion; and Re­ligion, on the contrary, enforced by proper Sanc­tions, is the best Cause of good Morals. The proud Man then cannot be a good RELIGION­IST, because a bad MORALIST; and cer­tainly, from the Contempt of his Neighbour, there is a natural and easy Transition to the Contempt of the GOD that made him: And 'tis no wonder, on the contrary, that if he despises his MAKER and PRESERVER, he, by consequence, will de­spise those of the same Species with himself. And if a Man will work himself up to such a Pitch of Wickedness as to think meanly of GOD'S Handi­works, we may easily conclude, that whatever comes from GOD will afford Matter for Ridicule to the proud Man. To be a proud Boaster, an haughty dogmatical Dictator, a proud Reasoner, [Page 173]and an imperious and abusive Writer, are Ingredi­ents which are almost, nay, I may venture to add, altogether essential to the Composition of this proud Man.

NO Wonder then, that the Contempt of RE­VELATION is owing to PRIDE, and that for two Reasons: Either because, first, the proud Man is guilty of great Immoralities; and then 'tis no Wonder that a Religion, whose Purity forbids all Irregularities of Soul and Body, should not meet with a good Reception with one that has contracted vicious Habits; and, what is worst of all, a dishonest Heart. To submit to such a Re­straint; which contradicts the immoderate Sallies of indulg'd Passions, and commands him not to set up his HORN, nor a STIFF NECK; and likewise that he should not be high-minded, but fear; shews, as he erroneously thinks, an abject Meanness of Soul: not considering, that to act vi­ciously, is to act meanly; and to contemn what GOD has given us for a RULE of Life, is to set up Weakness in opposition to OMNIPOTENCE, [Page 174]and human Folly in contradiction to infinite WISDOM. Or,

Secondly, THIS proud Man despises Revelation, because he thinks Reason is able to bring him to Happiness. Now, if we consider the Strength of human Reason since the Fall of Man, we shall find it a bad PILOT; Heathen Ignorance, Heathen Superstition, and Heathen Follies, are a demonstra­tive Evidence of its profound Darkness: and if it was not sufficient to direct them to an happy Im­mortality, how should it direct us, since all are not ^* Philosophers, to the glorious Mansions of the JUST? and if it does but see thro' a GLASS darkly, even when illuminated by Revelation, certainly when unassisted it must be only the Glim­mering of Light, and must resemble the LIGHT­ENING; which, as it pierces thro' a dense dark CLOUD, only serves to make the Darkness visible, [Page 175]and the Horror of it more horrible. Thus Rea­son, at the same Time that it affords the Under­standing a little Light, evidences likewise its want of it. Can we then be proud of this boasted Reason, which is Darkness, when compared to the Light of the GOSPEL? Or, is it not reasonable that it submit to that which GOD has declared, by SIGNS and WONDERS, to be his WILL? Does it not daily prove its own Weakness, and the Darkness that it is involv'd in, by a thousand Instances? Is it not daily overturning old HYPO­THESES, and framing new ones? Is it not often lost in Doubt and Conjecture? And has not DOUBTING been a Science? What has Reason then in it, that we should admire it to our Destruc­tion? Is not thus to admire it, like preferring a TAPER to the Light of the SUN? Such a Pre­ference brings the romantick DUNGEON into our View, in the Middle of which is a Taper burning, which only discovers the gloomy Horror of the Place, and the Confusion and indistinct Appear­ance of Objects: Or rather, it resembles the poe­tical DESCENT into the infernal REGIONS; [Page 174] [...] [Page 175] [...] [Page 176]where the Ghosts, Spectres, Gorgons, Hydras, and Chimeras, glide along just discernible; the pitchy Darkness, interspersed with faint Rays of Light, adds Horror to the Scene, by making, if I may be allow'd the Expression, the Darkness visible. Thus is Reason: It consists of Light and Shade; but its shadowy Parts, like those of a melancholy Representation, are predominant: it sees indistinct­ly, apprehends slowly, and, for the most part, judges erroneously. To ascribe then too much to Reason, in Disparagement of Revelation, not only discovers Pride, but demonstrates likewise the Per­verseness, as well as Ignorance, of human Nature. And certainly to glory in that, whose Imperfec­tions the Writings of all Ages fully evince, shews, that one cannot boast of Weakness and Infirmities without incurring the Censure of having a weak Understanding. One might imagine, that Rea­son would mortify our Pride; since all the Errors, all the Follies, committed either in Thought or Action, may be attributed to Reason: So true is the Observation of the SCHOOLMEN, That the [Page 177]Act of the UNDERSTANDING preceeds that of the WILL.

THESE are the common Effects of Pride in one sort of Men: But if we take a View of ano­ther sort and its Effects, which I proposed to treat of, we shall find it the Reverse of the former. This is with great Propriety term'd PRIDE that will LICK the DUST: that is, it will submit to a mean unbecoming Behaviour, so that it may, by that Means, raise itself to a greater Height. It can be supple and cringing to any that can do it a Ser­vice; but, when the Service is done, it can as rea­dily disavow it: It can appear in any Shape, and be­come all Things to all Men, that it may gain some to its Interest: It can, like that cunning greedy Animal, the HYENA, when it wants to make a Prey, seign the distress'd Tone of Voice by way of Decoy. It appears under the Mask of Friend­ship, and discovers itself in gentle Smiles, obliging Gestures, and complaisant Professions of good Of­fices. Thus the gilded Pill of Insinuation goes smoothly down, and proves in the End rank Poi­son [Page 178]to those that are so unfortunate as to swallow it: For 'tis certainly true that those who are so weak as to suffer themselves thus to be imposed upon, are ge­nerally contemn'd and ridicul'd by the very Persons that made Use of them as the Instruments of their Ambition. And when we have a full View of such Persons in Power, and see them arriv'd at the Height of their most sanguine Hopes, we cannot help com­paring them to gaudy BUTTERFLIES, that un­dergo several Changes of their Condition before they appear in their variegated Plumage; and as the Progress of the latter thro' their several States, before they arrive at any tolerable State of Perfec­tion, is abject and grovelling: so, those mean Can­didates for Honour and Preferment ascend Step by Step thro' a tedious Chain of Meannesses; and before they can be Men in Power, they must be the Tools and Instruments of Ambition; and often­times to be thorough-paced VILLAINS is the only Recommendation for them to a POST of HONOUR. Thus mean Condescensions and cri­minal Compliances are made, that Men may gain the highest Spoke in the WHEEL of FORTUNE: [Page 179]not considering that such an Eminence requires a sound Head, and a particular Firmness of Soul; otherwise a Giddiness may seize them, and tumble them to the lowest Spoke, to their own Confusion, nay, perhaps Destruction, and Joy of the gazing Multitude.

BUT this sort of PRIDE is oftentimes more eminently criminal than the former, because 'tis particularly guilty of that foul Crime of IN­GRATITUDE. It wears a MASK, till it has gain'd the full Completion of its Desires; but when that is once gain'd, it no longer appears under a borrow'd Shape, but shifts the Scene, and re-assumes the true Character. Hence is it that Riches and Power are said to discover the MAN: then he is at Liberty to act as Inclination dictates; whereas before, Narrowness of Circumstances, and a contracted Sphere of Action, were terrible Ob­stacles in the Ways of Vice. Experience confirms this. If we take a View of Mankind, the younger Part especially, that abound in Riches, we shall see them, not like EPICURUS, given to a con­templative [Page 180]Life; but, like his FOLLOWERS, im­mers'd in Voluptuousness, sunk in Pleasure, and swimming down the Current of Inclination. If then you would know Mankind, grant them the full Extent of their Wishes, and then you will see a new sort of Inclinations in the Bud, and gra­dually branching themselves out to an immoderate Height, unless timely check'd in their Growth by Discretion. So true is the Observation, that the Vices of a great many are not of an enormous Size, because they occupy but a low Station in Life. Something similar to this is produced in the SERPENT: Winter congeals its Poison, and hinders its malign Influences; but, when the Sum­mer appears, it dissolves the Poison, and makes it pernicious in its Operations. No Wonder then that Pride is the Spawn of Riches and Power, and that Ingratitude takes its Rise from Pride; since it thinks it demeans itself prettily, if it pays or owns an Obligation, especially to Persons of no Figure. It thinks its eminent Station a sufficient Security against Insult, and that its Riches can ward off any Blow that is aim'd at it on account of its Ingra­titude. [Page 181]Hence this Vice is the Child of Pride, and nurs'd by Riches. Both of them are to the MIND, what VERNAL SHOWERS are to the EARTH; each contributes to the Nourishment of its respective Plants; and at the same Time that some of a good Quality thrive, others either un­profitable, or of a noxious Nature, swell into an immoderate Size: and it is not surprizing if Ingra­titude shoots up its Head in a luxuriant Soil, when foster'd by a genial Warmth. And if it does spring up, as Experience shews it too often does, it proves the most detestable of all Vices; because to it, as to one common Centre, the other Vices incline: but, more particularly, Breach of Faith, Breach of Friendship, Injustice, Oppression, and, what is worst of all, Murder oft concludes the black Catalogue, and shuts the dismal Scene. Since there is such a Connection in Vice, and more emi­nently in this, 'tis no Wonder that the AN­CIENTS honour'd Ingratitude with a particular Mark of Distinction, to denote at the same Time the unnatural Offence, and also their Abhorrence of it.

[Page 182]BUT Ingratitude is not the only Vice that at­tends this sort of Pride. IMPUDENCE, with its HANDMAIDS, Intemperance and Unclean­ness, are generally Attendants upon it. For Pride in Power cannot brook a Contradiction to its Inclinations; if it should, it would argue want of Power to compass what Inclination prompted to: not considering, that a bad Inclination thwart­ed, tends toward the Conquest of ourselves; than which nothing is so difficult, and at the same Time so honourable. But this sort of Pride generally behaves with the same inherent Meanness when in Power, as when in its Rise; and if it could put off all Modesty in its Dawnings of Power, it is not strange if it displays itself in Scenes of Lewdness, when Power is added to Inclination.

AND as this sort of Pride is ungrateful and de­bauch'd in its Practice, so is it envious at another's Success. Superior Merit either in Action or Con­duct, superior Fortune, or superior Titles, or a Prince's Favour, are sufficient Motives to Envy. The Desire of raising himself to the State of Su­periority, [Page 183]without sufficient Abilities to enable him to do it, is the very Cause of an envious Man; and the very Knowledge of another's larger Talents, is oft the Object of Envy; because sometimes from Superiority of Abilities, one may, with some De­gree of Certainty, predict another's future Emi­nence in Life. This perhaps might be MORDE­CAI'S Case; otherwise what Reason had HAMAN to be discompos'd at the Behaviour of a Man so much beneath him. The Reason indeed is said to be this; MORDECAI would not pay him a proper Deference; he neither stood up, nor moved for him; therefore was he under HAMAN'S great Displeasure: and tho' HAMAN enjoyed the greatest Honours, the greatest Riches, and was bless'd with a Multitude of Children, yet, conti­nued he, all these avail me nothing so long as I see MORDECAI sitting in the King's Gate. Be­sides the Contempt shewn by this JEW to the King's Prime Minister, there must be some other Reason why this proud Man could not bear a Sight of MORDECAI; he hated him probably for his open Contempt, envy'd him by reason of his Relation [Page 184]to the Queen, and because he seem'd to have Qualifications sufficient to enable him to supplant HAMAN in the Royal Favour. If this was not the Case, why was Haman's Wrath so violent, as not only to thirst after the Blood of MORDECAI, but likewise the Blood of all the JEWS? A little Contempt, one would imagine, could not do all this; I should rather suppose this proud Man painted his own Downfal, and the Rise of MOR­DECAI, in his Imagination: This melancholy Consideration might make him envious; Envy would naturally make him hate; and Hatred might hurry him on to desire the utter Extirpation of the JEWS. Not so the generous SPARTAN; he was glad to know that there were brave Men in the City besides himself. Great and good Men have a benevolent Disposition; and as they are good themselves, they love to see it in others, and are ready to forward others too in their several pro­sperous Pursuits in Life. Whereas Envy is a bit­ter Enemy to another's Fame; and as in NATU­RAL BODIES there is required a Fitness to re­flect the Rays of Light; so in the HUMAN [Page 185]SOUL it is requisite that there should be a fit Dis­position to receive the Brightness of another's Fame; otherwise it will be susceptible of that odious Passion, Envy, which generally throws a Shade over the bright Parts of another's Character, like OPAQUE BODIES that suffocate the Rays of LIGHT; and as every SHADOW owes it Birth to Light, so Fame, true Fame especially, produces Calumny and Censure.

BESIDES the before-mentioned Effects, I might here mention, that Pride is often the Cause of INFIDELITY; because first Pride occasions an Affectation of Singularity, which is wont to take much with such Persons as desire to be distinguish'd by being thought to have a greater Share of Pene­tration than other Men.

AND, secondly, because it raises a Desire of being independent and uncontroulable by any one. When this meets with Persons of an imperious Temper, as all proud Men generally are of such a Temper, it is a strong Temptation to Scepticism [Page 186]and Infidelity. But as this would carry me be­yond my present Purpose, I shall, as I proposed in the last Place, conclude with a short Exhorta­tion to HUMILITY.

WHEN I recommend this Virtue to the World, I would not be so understood as to recommend all kinds of Humility. There are two sorts, of a de­generate Nature. The first respects our Behaviour to Man; to whom we may attribute too much, and too little to ourselves. This may be of dan­gerous Consequence to our Integrity; because, if we suffer ourselves to be directed entirely by others, we may often meet with ill Advisers, and conse­quently with ill Advice. If, in religious Matters, especially where Reason may be safely appeal'd to, we will not make Use of our own Reason, but the Reason of others, 'tis no Wonder that some amongst us make SHIPWRECK of their FAITH, and deny even the LORD that bought them. For the thinking too little, as well as too much of hu­man Reason, is equally dangerous, and opens [Page 187]a wide Gap to Errors both of Principle and Practice.

THE second respects the great Author of our Being, whom some have painted as enthron'd in terrible Majesty and Splendor, not to be approach'd in Prayer by any Mortal; and since he is not im­mediately to be apply'd to, Intercessors have been invented that should convey their Petitions to the Throne of GRACE. This is degenerating into HEATHENISM, and is an Introduction of a Plurality of Gods; because, to apply the Attributes of GOD to Creatures, is to make Gods of those Creatures; and consequently is both robbing GOD of his Honour, and likewise making his Work­manship upon a Level with him. This Behaviour is particularly inveigh'd against by St PAUL, when he says, ‘Let no Man beguile you of your Re­ward by a voluntary HUMILITY, and wor­shipping of ANGELS.’ This Command of the APOSTLE is confirm'd by Reason; because it is absurd to offer up Prayers to Beings of a li­mited Nature, who can be suppos'd neither om­nipresent [Page 188]nor omniscient, and therefore cannot be the proper Objects of our Addresses.

TRUE Humility then is of a different Nature from the beforementioned sorts; it relates to GOD and our NEIGHBOUR. That which relates to GOD consists in a due Sense of our own Meanness and his Excellency; which produces in us a lowly and unfeigned Submission to his Will: And that which has reference to our Neighbour, consists both in having a mean and low Opinion of our­selves, and also in being content that others should have so of us: The first of these is contrary to Pride, the other to Vain-glory, which is always an Attendant upon Pride. As the Practice of this Virtue contributes greatly to our present as well as future Happiness; as it comes strongly recom­mended to us by the Doctrine and Example of the BLESSED JESUS, who was meek and lowly of Heart, why should it be any longer thought a Meanness to behave with Humility? Dare the proud and haughty SCORNER say that 'tis MEAN to imitate a GOD? So much every proud Man [Page 189]avows that will not follow the great Pattern of Humility propos'd in the GOSPEL. Such de­clare themselves not only the Enemies of GOD, but likewise of Mankind; because no human So­ciety can subsist happily without Humility; and because this eminent Virtue is the very Basis and Support of all as well social as religious Virtues.

WHOEVER is humble, is likewise meek, is benevolent, is beneficent; his Years pass on with Pleasure, and fly softly away; being accompanied with the kind Wishes of his Fellow Creatures, and the pleasing Consciousness of a well-spent Life. These serve both for Ballast and a pleasing Gale, to waft the HUMAN BARK safe through the Storms of Time, till it arrives at the STILL Ocean of Eter­nity; where SAINTS and ANGELS are ready to HAIL him welcome to the happy and eternal Shore.

WHEREAS Pride is accompanied with Shame and Contempt in this gloomy and melancholy State of Things; and when it has pass'd the Confines of [Page 190]this World, it must be consign'd over to those un­happy and dismal Mansions, where the PROUD Contemners of Heaven, the Devil and his impious Adherers, reside in perpetual Anguish.

WHICH, that all of us may avoid, may GOD of his infinite Mercy grant, &c.